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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27206908">The Best Friend's Guide To Writing Wedding Vows</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_lili_es/pseuds/water_lili_es'>water_lili_es</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Flashbacks, Fluff, Light Angst, Love Triangles, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Platonic Relationships, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Yang Jeongin | I.N-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:28:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,654</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27206908</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_lili_es/pseuds/water_lili_es</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Wedding vows? <i>Wedding vows?!</i> I thought you wanted to cancel the wedding! I thought you were going to <i> break up with Hyunjin</i>! And you were worried about your bloody wedding vows?!”</p><p>“I’m not going to break up with Hyunjin!”</p><p>“Well, you certainly made it seem otherwise.”</p><p>“Just help me write my wedding vows, please.”</p><p>“Last time I checked, <i>I</i> wasn’t <i>your</i> best man.”</p><p>“And last time I checked, you’re <i>his</i> best friend.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeongin wakes up late, like a Sunday morning deserves. He was a morning person, usually up by 8 even when he had nothing to do that early in the day, but he and Hyunjin were out until 2 am, so no one could blame him if he slept in.</p><p>He turns over to the other side of the bed, not surprised that the big bed was empty and that the sheets were already devoid of body warmth that wasn’t his. He rubs his eyes with a yawn, recounting yesterday’s events.</p><p>He went out with Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Felix after lunch and the four of them went to the jewelry boutique to finally be done with the last of their checklists: picking out the wedding rings. The task had been put on hold thanks to Hyunjin’s insistence that all four of them be present for the job. After they finally agreed on matching bands for the engaged couple, the four of them went out to dinner. Dinner extended until 11, and that was when Hyunjin and Jeongin parted from Seungmin and Felix. The two of them ended up outside a convenience store near Jeongin’s apartment, catching up outside of wedding duties, which seemed to take up most of their conversation since the engagement six months ago, and more so after the engagement party four months ago.</p><p>His  phone vibrates on the nightstand so he rolls back to his side of the bed and takes his phone in his hands. He ignores the other messages and notifications, smiling sleepily at the <em>“I didn’t want to wake you because you slept late. I’ll pick up the rings after work so don’t worry your pretty little head ♡</em><em>”</em>that he caught a glimpse of as he scrolled past. He’d get to that later.</p><p>He sits up at Seungmin’s text, sent half a minute ago.</p><p><strong>Seungmin: </strong>JEONGIN I NEED YOUR HELP</p><p>More are sent in frantic continuation.</p><p><strong>Seungmin:</strong> JEONGIN</p><p><strong>Seungmin:</strong> HELP ME</p><p><strong>Seungmin: </strong>I CAN’T DO THIS</p><p>Jeongin practically sprints out of bed, scrambling for a change of clothes and the keys to the apartment as well as his phone and wallet before running out of the apartment. He doesn’t have time for coffee, or to shower, or to reply to that text that gave him half a minute of peace before Seungmin had managed to send him into a frenzy.</p><p>He hops into the first cab he spots and makes his way to Seungmin’s apartment with his mind reeling with any and all scenarios that might have played out between yesterday and today to merit Seungmin’s attitude. He was absolutely positive that Seungmin and Hyunjin were fine yesterday; there were no signs of cold feet between the couple and Jeongin didn’t want to accept the fact that maybe Seungmin was harbouring these unsure feelings for longer than when he woke up this morning.</p><p>No, it simply wasn't possible for Seungmin to be having second thoughts. Not now, and not ever. This <em>had</em> to be a joke.</p><p>Seungmin didn't play these types of jokes.</p><p>It’s a month until the wedding. What Seungmin is feeling <em>has</em> to be innocuous pre-wedding jitters. Nothing that his best man can’t talk him out of.</p><p>Jeongin’s brow twitched. <em>Felix</em> is Seungmin’s best man.</p><p>He doesn’t have time to dwell on it because the cab pulls up in front of Seungmin’s apartment building. He quickly pays for fare and rushes out, hands brushing through his hair in an attempt to make the unruly strands look presentable.</p><p>“Seungmin? Seungmin, what’s wrong?” Jeongin says as he barges inside the apartment, the nerves in his stomache so tight Jeongin might fall over if he didn’t clutch onto the door knob for dear life. He doesn’t remember to scold the older for having his door unlocked as his eyes rake over the purple apartment (he mentally offers a moment to blame Chan for influencing Jeongin with his parental attitude), littered with knick-knacks Seungmin collected over the years. He doesn’t see him on the couch and the television is off. Seungmin’s bedroom door is opened and Jeongin can see the neatly made bed from where he’s standing on the apartment’s entrance.</p><p>“Jeongin!” Seungmin is seated in front of the dining table and Jeongin turns to the side to the kitchen part of the average-sized apartment. Jeongin sees Seungmin looking like all he’s done today was make his bed before sitting down and proceeding to have a meltdown.</p><p>“Seungmin, what’s the problem?” Jeongin asked as he sat next to the older boy, using an arm to brush away the crumpled pieces of paper on the table as well as the notebook and pen in front of Seungmin whilst his other arm wraps around the back of Seungmin’s shoulders in comfort.</p><p>“It’s a month before the wedding.” Seungmin blustered as he looked at the mess on his table like he was seeing it for the first time.</p><p>Jeongin nodded and hoped that his smile was as comforting as he intended it to be. “It is.”</p><p>Seungmin gasped at the verbal confirmation, eyes wide and a groan slipping past his lips. “I’m getting married in a month!”</p><p>“I know.” Jeongin replied as he ran his hand up and down Seungmin’s back. He doesn’t want Seungmin to keep talking. The more he rambled, the more convinced Jeongin was that he’s having second thoughts.</p><p>Seungmin can’t have second thoughts— <em>he can’t</em>. He and Hyunjin were meant to be together forever and ever and ever, <em>everyone</em> knew that.</p><p>“I can’t do this!” Seungmin fists his hair frantically and Jeongin feels his heart stop. His brows curl at the agitated boy, not knowing what to feel. He can’t believe Seungmin was having second thoughts <em>now</em>, when there was five weeks left before the big day.</p><p>At least it’s not five minutes before.</p><p>“What do you <em>mean</em> you can’t do this?” Jeongin keeps his voice low in fear of letting his anger show. He was angry that Seungmin was like this, but he couldn’t be mad yet, not without an explanation and not when Seungmin was clearly frenetic. “You <em>can</em> do this!”</p><p>He was not going to let Seungmin walk away from his best friend. Over his dead body.</p><p>“A month, Jeongin! I can’t!”</p><p>“Yes, you can.” Jeongin pressed over gritted teeth.</p><p>Seungmin shook his head. “It’s too soon! I shouldn’t have—“</p><p>“What do you mean it’s too soon?” Jeongin almost rose to his feet in exasperation, but focused on rubbing circles over Seungmin’s back. “Seungmin, you and Hyunjin have been dating for <em>six</em> years. It’s not too soon.”</p><p>Seungmin pauses for half a second, quickly looks away from the pile of crumpled paper on the side of the table and meets Jeongin’s eyes. “Jeongin, listen to me.”</p><p>“No! Seungmin, I’m not letting you walk away from Hyunjin. You two are <em>meant</em> for each other. I know you know this.” Jeongin almost pleaded with his eyes for Seungmin to snap out of whatever idiocity he’s under right now.</p><p>Jeongin is close to tears by now, anger forgotten as the frustration kicks in. He has to remind Seungmin of how much Hyunjin loves him, and how much Seungmin loves Hyunjin.</p><p>Seungmin’s brows furrow, like he had no idea what Jeongin was talking about. “Jeongin, what are you talking about?”</p><p>At the back of his mind, he feels like he's in college all over again, feelings all over the place when they were so easily contained in his hands if he breathed hard enough and focused on understanding them. But it was tricky to focus and understand how Seungmin could pull such a confused expression at the implication that he and Hyunjin were a perfect match.</p><p>Jeongin scoffs in disbelief at the confusion in Seungmin’s features. He detaches from Seungmin, hands flailing in the air between them in wild gestures. “What are <em>you</em> talking about? Why are you even thinking that you can’t do this? I’ve been with you two since the beginning and I most certainly will not let you turn your back on my best friend.”</p><p>Seungmin watches as Jeongin takes a crumpled piece of paper and straightens it out. “And were you planning on breaking off the engagement through a <em>letter</em>? Seungmin, I—“</p><p>Seungmin's handwriting takes up the first third of the page, words crossed over repeatedly and small doodles on the corner that showed that he was distracted. Jeongin visibly relaxes as he reads the words on the piece of paper, the furrow in his brow moving from frustrated to confused. “Wedding vows?”</p><p>Seungmin groaned whilst he hid his face in his hands, slumped over the table once again. “I’ve got five weeks to the wedding and I <em>still</em> haven’t written my vows. I shouldn’t have put it on hold for so long, I have no idea what to write.”</p><p>This was better than the <em>‘I shouldn’t have said yes when he proposed.’</em> that Jeongin thought Seungmin was going to say earlier.</p><p>Jeongin stares at Seungmin emotionlessly. He can feel the anger and frustration draining off of him faster than it consumed him until he was left with disbelief and confusion. He wanted to say that he overreacted but he knew that Seungmin was being a little overdramatic.</p><p>Jeongin sighs, reaches into his pocket to take out his phone, scrolls through his messages and taps on the text from this morning. He types in a succinct reply— a small good morning despite it being 1 in the afternoon, a thank you for the offer of picking the rings up, and then his location as a finishing touch— before clicking his phone to sleep and placing it on the table in front of him.</p><p>When Seungmin turns to him with teary eyes, Jeongin wordlessly piles as many crumpled papers into the crook of his arm with his lips pressed into a thin line and scrutinizing eyes on Seungmin and the puppy dog eyes he paired with his pout.</p><p>The apartment is silent as Jeongin and Seungmin stare each other off save for the rustle of paper rubbing against each other as they piled up on Jeongin’s arm. He doesn’t know what Jeongin is thinking and it only makes him anxious. He was waiting for Jeongin to open his mouth and start scolding him for waiting six months into the engagement with a month until the wedding before he decided to start writing wedding vows.</p><p>But Jeongin thought that Seungmin wanted nothing to do with the wedding anymore; and even with the overwhelming relief that washed over him because his suspicions were false, he was more baffled that Seungmin was acting like he was ready to walk away from it all.</p><p>And with that, Jeongin can think of nothing more accurate than the fact that Hyunjin and Seungmin truly were meant to be together forever and ever and ever.</p><p>Jeongin moves before he speaks. With an unobtrusive sigh, Jeongin takes one of the paper balls in his arm and tosses it at Seungmin, hitting the boy’s forehead.</p><p>“Wedding vows? <em>Wedding vows?!</em> I thought you wanted to cancel the wedding! I thought you were going to <em>break up with Hyunjin</em>!” he said as he threw paper ball after paper ball at Seungmin. “And you were worried about your bloody wedding vows?!” Jeongin’s babeldom was accompanied by Seungmin weakly blocking his face, chest, and shoulders whilst he whined at the paper balls harmlessly hitting his body.</p><p>“I’m not going to break up with Hyunjin!” Seungmin gasped and sat upright at the accusation. How could Jeongin even think of something so absurd? He and Hyunjin were a perfect match.</p><p>“Well, you certainly made it seem otherwise.” Jeongin hissed as the last paper ball hit Seungmin’s shoulder and landed with all the others on the floor.</p><p>Seungmin wrapped his hands around Jeongin’s arm, shaking it in his hold. “Just help me write my wedding vows, please.”</p><p>Jeongin rolled his eyes, still baffled by the overdramatics of his afternoon. “Last time I checked, <em>I</em> wasn’t <em>your</em> best man.”</p><p>He already had to survive seven hours in Hyunjin’s apartment, laid lifeless on the couch as Hyunjin paced around him and jotted down accolade after accolade in Seungmin’s name. He was not willing to experience it again anytime soon.</p><p>“And last time I checked, you’re <em>his</em> best friend.” Seungmin argued.</p><p>Jeongin raises a brow as he tugs his arm out of Seungmin’s hands. “And that subjects me to an almost heart attack?”</p><p>“How do I write wedding vows?” Seungmin groused whilst Jeongin took the notebook and pen and repositioned it in front of them both.</p><p>“Well, we have to start somewhere.” Jeongin sighed, resigned to subjecting himself to an afternoon of writing wedding vows. For the second time today, he takes a moment to mentally blame Chan for his influence and for turning him into someone that wouldn't just walk out of Seungmin's apartment out of spite.</p><p>Plus, Hyunjin will have his head if he left Seungmin mid-meltdown.</p><p>“Where?”</p><p>“How about from the beginning?” Jeongin asked, elbow propped on the table and cheek on top of his fist.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so excited for this AAAAAHHH~!!! please don't hesitate to drop comments and leave kudos hhhhh updates will be every few days, but thank you so much for reading!! the flow will certainly be a little confusing for the first few chapters, since we'll be going back and forth between college days and the present, but let's figure it out together ahehe :3</p><p>don't forget to find me on my <a href="https://twitter.com/markeu_tuan93">twitter</a>, <a href="https://curiouscat.qa/water_lili_es">curious cat</a>, <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/user/GirlDreamcatcher1123">wattpad</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGfueuIgLVf0o1FNOllA18g">youtube</a>!!! thank you again!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeongin has just finished unpacking. He was officially moved into his college dorm, one that he was thankful to be sharing with a close friend from high school because Jeongin was sure as hell not going to be sleeping ten steps away from a complete stranger.</p><p>Sure, they can get to know each other, Jeongin has confidence in his social skills, but still.</p><p>He’ll admit that he wished that he ended up rooming with Hyunjin, but he supposed he can’t be <em>that</em> lucky. Hyunjin was only a floor higher, though, so neither of them can complain about room assignments too much.</p><p>A knock on the door makes Jeongin’s head shoot up from where it was focused on fixing his sheets, and he yells at whoever it is to come in in honour of staying on the floor next to his bed and finish his last task for the day.</p><p>And in comes Hyunjin, strands of his hair poking the corners of his eyes in a way that he’s learned to ignore for the sake of keeping his hair styled that way. He takes note of Jeongin on the floor, and the bed he was next to, sheets that were the same navy blue as his thrown over it neatly. Jeongin’s luggage and overnight bag were nowhere in sight, and Hyunjin deduced that they were kept away under the bed or inside the closet if there was room.</p><p>“I see you’re done settling in.” Hyunjin noted whilst he closed the door behind him.</p><p>Jeongin shrugged. “Yeah, well, not much space to put crap, you know?”</p><p>Hyunjin pauses from his effort of scanning the small dorm room and figuring out if this knick-knack or that was Jeongin’s or not. He looks down at his friend, the sides of his mouth downturned in concern. “Why? Your roommate a priss?”</p><p>Jeongin quickly looks up at Hyunjin and shakes his head, laughing softly. “No, he’s really nice, actually. He’s a friend from high school, so that’s a blessing.”</p><p>Jeongin can still hear Jisung’s excited howls when Jeongin walked inside the dorm room earlier today. He had just waved goodbye to Hyunjin at the elevator, leaving the older to go up the last floor to find his own room, and the last thing Jeongin expected when he walked inside his was his roommate, already moved in since yesterday afternoon, and someone he recognized.</p><p>Hyunjin nodded, smile now back on his features once he’s deemed Jeongin honest about his statement. “Glad to know you’ll get along with your roommate.”</p><p>Jeongin finally finished fixing his sheets and gave Hyunjin his undivided attention. “Why? Is your’s a priss?”</p><p>Jeongin can’t imagine anyone who could out-priss Hwang Hyunjin, but maybe that was what unnerved Hyunjin.</p><p>Hyunjin shrugged whilst he sat on the edge of Jeongin’s bed. “I haven’t met him yet, so I’m not sure.”</p><p>“Well, if he kicks your dramatic ass out of your room, you know where to find me.” Jeongin laughed.</p><p>Hyunjin chuckled with him, clutching his chest for effect. “Aww, I knew I could always come to you to fall back on.”</p><p><em>Yeah, well, maybe that’s because I’ve fallen for you first.</em> Jeongin thinks to himself as he looks at the boy on his bed.</p><p>He slumps from where he’s seated on the floor. It was a blessing in diguise that he isn’t roomed with his best friend. He doesn’t think he could handle it— his heart, more specifically.</p><p>But then again, his heart has been handling it pretty well for the past years now.</p><p>“Because without me, what’s a brat like you gonna do, huh?” Jeongin teased.</p><p>Hyunjin opened his mouth in a dramatic gasp. “You’re luck I grace you with my presence on the daily. Do you know how many people would kill to take care of a prince like me?”</p><p>“And yet it was <em>my</em> blood sacrifice that you surrendered to.” Jeongin humoured with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>Deep down, he wondered if his crush on Hyunjin would be gone by now if they lost touch during high school. But they were stuck at the hip since they were toddlers, so growing apart because they ended up going to separate highschools was unrealistic, especially with weekend sleepovers and hours at the mall after classes.</p><p>Getting over Hyunjin was just as absurd, Jeongin had liked him for as long as he cared to remember.</p><p>Hyunjin laughed and got on his feet. “I actually came to ask you to lunch. Apparently, one of the cafes here have the best americanos.”</p><p>Jeongin sighed in a way that suggested that he was deep in a daydream. “Ah, you really know the way to my heart.”</p><p>The older tittered whilst he held out his hands out for Jeongin to take. “Alright, you big baby, time to eat.”</p><p>Jeongin grasps Hyunjin’s hands in his own and pulls himself up, barely fazed by how their noses were almost touching because of how close they ended up being. Spending as much time with Hyunjin as humanly possible, butterflies were a hit or miss with Jeongin. He wouldn’t be surprised if half an hour later they’d find themselves in a similar situation and Jeongin would have trouble keeping his blush down.</p><p>It was a gamble, and so was falling for your best friend. Jeongin wasn’t much of a risk taker, but he was willing to bet his heart on the boy in front of him.</p><p>They get to the cafe, and Hyunjin, always the gentleman, goes to order for them whilst Jeongin finds them a table. He decides on a table for four a little ways away from the window and towards the center of the cafe. He liked how they got the best view of the cafe’s interior from the table.</p><p>Jeongin allowed himself a moment to admire Hyunjin standing in the short line. He was looking through the display case, wondering what to order for him and Jeongin. As usual, Jeongin ladened him with the responsibility of choosing his food.</p><p>Hyunjin really did know him best.</p><p>Jeongin goes to look through his phone, tearing his attention away from Hyunjin’s back. He doesn’t see a boy enter the cafe and walk to the end of the line, stopping two steps behind Hyunjin.</p><p>Hyunjin wasn’t too preoccupied with his scanning of the display table to notice that the person behind him was trying to do the same and that he was probably blocking the person’s view of the pastries on display. He plasters on a small and polite smile as he turns, ready to apologize, when his jaw drops slightly at the boy stood behind him, pleasantly surprised to recognize the face his eyes set upon.</p><p>His opened jaw closes when they boy turns to him and his supposed small and polite smile ends up as a charming and friendly grin. “Seungmin, hey.”</p><p>Normally, Hyunjin would think that there would be a chance that he’s mistaken, but for some reason, he has Seungmin’s adorably crinkly nose embedded to his memory. From the handful of times they’ve interacted with each other over the years, Seungmin’s habit of crinkling his nose always made Hyunjin smile.</p><p>Recognition flashes before Seungmin’s eyes instantly as he registers the boy in front of him.</p><p>“Hyunjin!” the boy smiled and ounces of relief washed over his features at the sight of an acquiantance in a new university. “You’re going here, too?”</p><p>The line moves and so do they, Hyunjin only a half-step ahead so that he and Seungmin were next to each other. “Yeah. My first class is in a week. You?”</p><p>Seungmin sighed with mock frustration. “Two days.”</p><p>Hyunjin laughed and tilted his head to the side as he took in the sight of Seungmin’s small pout. He takes a second to wonder why he didn’t make much of an effort to reach out to Seungmin before, but since they’re here now, and apparently in the same university, maybe it wasn’t too late to start.</p><p>“Hey, uhh,” he started, rather shyly. “are you with anybody? I’m with a friend, but he won’t mind if you join us.”</p><p>Seungmin’s expression turns into one of confusion and slight hesitance. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to intrude.”</p><p>The line moves again as Hyunjin chuckles. “I promise that he won’t. I think you’ll get along with him, too.”</p><p>Seungmin then nods, a small grateful laugh accompanying his answer. “Good, because I don’t know anybody here and I’m more than happy for the company.”</p><p>The line moves again and they’re in front of the counter. Hyunjin lets Seungmin order first, glancing behind him to see Jeongin still busy on his phone. He doesn’t think that Jeongin glanced up at least once since he’d picked up his phone.</p><p>Seungmin finished ordering so Hyunjin started to relay his and Jeongin’s light lunch orders to the woman working. After they’ve paid and gotten their food, Hyunjin leads Seungmin to the table.</p><p>“Innie.” Hyunjin smiled, calling for the younger’s attention. When Jeongin looks up, his smile turns confused, which makes Seungmin think that Hyunjin overestimated his friend’s hospitality.</p><p>“This is Seungmin, we went to high school together.” Hyunjin introduced as he set the tray in front of Jeongin and sat next to him. He smiled at Seungmin and gestured in front of him for him to take a seat. “Seungmin, meet Jeongin, my best friend since diapers.”</p><p> “Shut up about the diapers.” Jeongin snorts with a roll of his eyes, smile small. Seungmin takes a seat across Hyunjin and sets his tray in front of him. His hesitance dissolves when he sees Jeongin’s confusion was petered and left a genuinely friendly smile. “Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”</p><p>The two of them don’t pay attention to Hyunjin, who was transferring their foods and drinks on the table so that they could do away with the trays. Seungmin’s smile was almost relieved as he offered it to Jeongin. “Hi, I’m so sorry for crashing.”</p><p>Jeongin waves a hand in easy dismissal, laughing softly. “Oh, no. It’s nice to have a new face around. Pretty sure Hyunjin is getting tired of me, you know?”</p><p>Hyunjin comes back from disposing the trays and pinches Jeongin’s cheek as he sits back down. “Now, why would you think that? I can never get tired of you, Innie.”</p><p>Jeongin frowned and swatted Hyunjin’s hand away, rubbing both his cheeks pink as a cover-up for his faint blush. “Stop it, Seungmin might think you have a crush on me.”</p><p><em>Ha, as if.</em> Jeongin thought, simply to spite himself, as he rolled his eyes again.</p><p>Seungmin laughed, quickly growing comfortable with the pair.</p><p>The three of them leave the cafe together, somewhere in their conversation divulging the information that Seungmin lived in the building across from Hyunjin and Jeongin’s.</p><p>“I’ll see you guys around?” Seungmin asked once they’ve reached the space between their buildings’ entrances. He smiled at the two, happy to have met them today. It made for a good chance to relax after hours of unpacking his things into his dorm room.</p><p>Jeongin nodded, wanting Seungmin to leave as soon as possible so that he could nag Hyunjin for waiting so long to introduce them to each other when Hyunjin and Seungmin went to high school together. “You’re welcome to crash anytime, just so you know.”</p><p>Seungmin laughed, nose crinkling in that way Hyunjin would fawn over. “I’ll keep that in mind.”</p><p>Seungmin waves them goodbye, the two following the gesture before Seungmin turns his back to them and disappears inside his building’s walls. Hyunjin keeps waving even after Seungmin had disappeared, seemingly lost in his own world.</p><p>Hyunjin completely misses the flash of hurt passing through Jeongin’s sclera as the younger took in the sight of his dazed smile and lively eyes. Jeongin knew that look like he knew every single detail that made up Hwang Hyunjin.</p><p>“You like him.” it wasn’t a question. It was somewhere between an accusation and a statement, but not a question. Jeongin gave no room for denial, calling Hyunjin’s attention to his feelings before the boy was aware of them himself.</p><p>Hyunjin’s smile broadened by a bit, going from dopey to a kind of fond resignation. He turned to Jeongin, who shouldn’t have been hurt as much as he was at the breathy exhale from Hyunjin. “I do, don’t I?”</p><p>Jeongin chuckled and punched Hyunjin in the shoulder before walking to the entrance of their own building. He said over his shoulder, “You’re pretty obvious, you know?”</p><p>He poked his tongue to the inside of his cheek, hesitating to state out his second observation.</p><p>He waited until Hyunjin had falled into step next to him and they were in the small lobby and waiting for the elevator. He hummed. “Don’t worry. I think he likes you, too.”</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“At least we can rule out love at first sight.” Jeongin shrugged, and then narrowed his eyes in thinly veiled disgust. He thinks of how over-the-top that is for Hyunjin and Seungmin. “God, I don’t know if I can handle if you two got any cheesier.”</p><p>Jeongin, who liked long walks on the beach and late night drives with the windows pushed down, who beamed at the sight of those matching bracelets that locked together when the people who wore them held hands, said that he couldn’t handle cheesiness.</p><p>Seungmin laughed as he scribbled words on a sheet of paper. He was calmer now, his very dramatic act taking a close now that he and Jeongin were filing through memories.  “Why not? I think love at first sight is kinda cute.”</p><p>Jeongin faked a gag. “Yeah, but you two are ‘cute’ enough. Remember how he asked you out on your first date?”</p><p>Seungmin laughed again with a nod. He set the pen down and smiled, eyes shining with the recollection of memories so far away. “You were there, too. I mean, if anything, you made it happen.”</p><p>The younger rolled his eyes but that did little to stop the smile creeping up his mouth. “It was embarrassing on my part, too.”</p><hr/><p>Seungmin and Jeongin later find out that they share one class together, right before a big gap of time before the next class for both of them. They sit next to each other and find themselves exchanging hushed giggles throughout the first day of that class; not bothering with their professor’s opening remarks.</p><p>After class, they find Hyunjin outside waiting for Jeongin so that they can have lunch together. When he sees Seungmin with Jeongin, however, his already bright smile manages to gain another handful of voltages. The two boys were still inside the classroom, but Jeongin could see it from here, where Hyunjin was standing by the door and watching Seungmin pack up his things.</p><p>That’s when Jeongin remembers that Hyunjin smiled like exactly like that a few days ago. It was a nice smile, unquestionably attractive, one that Jeongin knew he would never be the reason for, but he’d be stupid not to want see Hyunjin smiling the way he was now, when he was looking at someone he liked, and at the moment, he liked Seungmin.</p><p>So Jeongin smiled, the one reserved for the people a part of him wished to be him, and clung to Seungmin’s upper arm as they made their way where Hyunjin stood outside of the room. “Join us for lunch! You got time, right, don’t you?”</p><p>“My next class is in three hours.” Seungmin answered as he spared a glance at Hyunjin before fixing his gaze back to Jeongin. “Is it fine if I join you?”</p><p>“Of course.” Hyunjin replied instantly and Jeongin answered in response.</p><p>“We’re all friends now, aren’t we?” he tittered as they navigated towards the exit of the building. He was still latched to Seungmin’s arm so he squeezed it as reassuringly as he could. “My next class is in an hour, so I can’t stay out long.”</p><p>Hyunjin chuckled and there it was: the smile that he was able to muster whenever the current object of his affection was in the area. “You don’t have to act like we’re strangers, Min. It’s cool, really.”</p><p>And Jeongin almost forgot that Hyunjin and Seungmin went to high school together. He wondered how close they were in high school. Hyunjin and Jeongin told each other everything and Seungmin was never mentioned as far as Jeongin could remember.</p><p>Which meant that whatever doting feelings that Hyunjin is starting to harbour towards Seungmin is new, barely a week old, and developing right in front of Jeongin’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The days pass and Hyunjin was starting his classes as well. Days ago, they found out that since Seungmin was studying music education, he had classes both Jeongin, who was taking education, and Hyunjin, who was taking dance.</p><p>Hyunjin’s infatuations ranged from hours to months and Jeongin was used to having his best friend wax poetry on the lucky person that the universe deemed worthy enough at the moment. There were times where Jeongin would be convinced that Hyunjin was putting a person on too high a pedestal, because he tried— and failed— to see how the light made this person’s skin glow or how that person held stars in their eyes.</p><p>With Seungmin, it was a different story. Jeongin didn’t try to understand where Hyunjin was coming from. He didn’t need to. It didn’t take him a mental recap of Seungmin to know that the sunlight indeed made his skin look like it was glowing, or that his eyes did in fact shine as bright as a galaxy whenever he broke into a fit of giggles.</p><p>He couldn’t comfort himself with the thought that Hyunjin was being ridiculous over a rose-coloured image of a person, because the roses on Seungmin were his own and the manifestation of no one else. He was as kind as his smile was genuine and as lovely as the company he provided.</p><p>And so, Jeongin wasn’t surprised that he felt happy for both Hyunjin and Seungmin right now. It was a little easier to ignore the pinch in his heart because he knew that it was near impossible to dislike Seungmin.</p><p>“Jeongin!” Seungmin beamed as he and Hyunjin exited the classroom and saw him waiting for them outside. “Have you been waiting long?”</p><p>“No, not at all. My class just finished.”  he smiled as they started to navigate toward the building’s exit. It’s become normal for them to have meals together now, as if Seungmin grew up alongside them. None of them had any problems with that. “Any suggestions for dinner?”</p><p>It was still nearing sundown, but the three of them have adjusted to a semi-early dinner and midnight snacks if they were still awake late enough to feel hungry again. Walking in the dead of the night to the only convenience store in campus was a nice way to soak up the night air, in Jeongin’s opinion, and he’d pull either Hyunjin or Seungmin out with him, if not both of them, if they were available.</p><p>“My roommate suggested this restaurant in campus. He said the food was surprisingly pleasant for a low price.” Hyunjin suggested.</p><p>With a quirked brow, Jeongin chuckled. “It seems that you and your roommate are getting along quite nicely.”</p><p>Coyly, Hyunjin shrugged. “Changbin’s cool, I guess.”</p><p>They get to the restaurant and learn that it served some mix of homemade and fast food. They find a table, near the middle of the restaurant, and order their food. They chat idly with each other as they wait for their food, like every day for the past week. Jeongin felt that Seungmin was a good addition to them, because then Jeongin can see when Hyunjin’s eyes glistened with infatuation and hear how much more carefree his laugh sounded when Seungmin was the cause of it.</p><p>Even when Hyunjin wasn’t smitten with <em>him</em>, it warmed Jeongin’s heart to see his best friend like this.</p><p>“Oh, Min, you have a little...” Hyunjin trailed-off as he swiped his thumb over his own lip before chuckling and beckoning Seungmin closer. Seungmin complied with a chuckle and leaned over his chair to let Hyunjin wipe off the pasta sauce smeared on the corner of his lip.</p><p>Jeongin was hopelessly in love with Hyunjin but even that even stop him from faking a gag at the scene in front of him. “Gross; really? Do you think you’re on a date or something?”</p><p>Seungmin pursed his lips whilst Hyunjin leaned across the table to hit Jeongin on the shoulder, who stuck his tongue out at the pathetic excuse for physical assault. “Don’t give me that look; I know you want to ask Seungmin out.”</p><p>It hurt to say it, but not so much to accept. And Jeongin knew that even if he was currently exposing Hyunjin’s fancy for Seungmin, there was no harm done. Seungmin would have to be blind not to see the signs, and Jeongin wrote the checklist for ‘how to tell if you have a crush on Hwang Hyunjin’ himself, so he was positively certain that Seungmin reciprocated the fancy.</p><p>“You want to ask me out?” Seungmin asked tentatively.</p><p>Hyunjin blustered, caught off-guard with how shy Seungmin suddenly looked. “Well, the thought might have crossed my mind once or twice. A day. But, uhh, yeah, if you aren’t completely repulsed by the idea...”</p><p>Jeongin snorted in disbelief. He doesn’t’ recall the last time he saw Hyunjin that flustered. He went back to his meal, half-listening to the conversation and half-desperate to tune them out. He couldn’t decide if he wanted a front row seat to the progression of his best friend’s love life. The food really was surprisingly pleasant, even for Jeongin’s slightly above average taste buds.</p><p>Seungmin blinked and blushed a rosy colour as he smiled sheepishly. “Is that your final answer or do you think you can do better?”</p><p>Hyunjin doesn’t know how one person can look shy and confident at the same time, but here Seungmin was, blushing shyly but smiling confidently.</p><p>Jeongin felt Hyunjin relax across him and he focused on his plate of lasagna. He was used to that pinch in his heart but he couldn’t wait to get back to his dorm room all the same. He only hoped that Jisung would be there because he badly needed to let his thoughts out.</p><p>Hyunjin smiled sweetly at Seungmin and tilted his head to the side in a way he personally thought made him look endearing. “Kim Seungmin, will you go on a date with me this Saturday?”</p><p>Seungmin chuckled as he nodded. “I’d love to.”</p><p>When Jeongin gets back to his room, it’s to Jisung and someone else he isn’t familiar with sitting on the floor between the two beds and munching on junk food as they watched a movie playing on the laptop in front of them.</p><p>“Oh, hey,” Jisung greeted before his eyes softened at the pout on Jeongin’s face. He reached over to pause the movie, giving his roommate his full attention. “you okay?”</p><p>Jisung was the only person that knew about Jeongin’s dramatically unrequited feelings for Hyunjin, though he was yet to be provided with a name and a face. Jeongin wanted to spill his heart out to Jisung, but that can wait for another night, seeing as his roommate had company and chips and a movie suddenly sounded appealing. Jeongin sighed as he wordlessly dropped to the floor next to Jisung, snatching a pack of chips from the pile next to the laptop and tearing it open.</p><p>Jeongin pops a chip in his mouth and Jisung takes that as his cue to introduce his friends to each other. “Jeongin, meet Chan. He’s three years older than us, though.”</p><p>“Sorry I crashed movie night.” Jeongin apologized with another small pout before popping another chip inside his mouth.</p><p>Chan laughed dismissively. “It’s fine. As long as you’re fine with me crashing in your room.”</p><p>Jeongin shrugged and took it upon himself to press play. “Any friend of Jisung’s is a friend of mine.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Okay, what’s up?” Jisung asked almost half an hour after Chan has left and the two of them were settling in their beds with their lamps on.</p><p>Jeongin presses his cheek against his pillow. He and Jisung were facing each other from opposite sides of the small dorm room and once again Jeongin is grateful to be roomed with a close friend.</p><p>He sighed. “Remember that friend I’ve been telling you about?”</p><p>Jisung nodded whilst he replied. “Yeah. Did you finally confess?”</p><p>He scoffed between chuckles. He could never bring himself to tell Hyunjin that he’s been in love with him for more than half of their lives. “No. But he asked someone out on a date today.”</p><p>He didn’t tell Jisung about how he practically pushed Hyunjin into it. There wasn’t a point in taking credit for something that was bound to happen one way or another.</p><p>Thanks to their lit lamps, Jeongin can clearly see how Jisung’s expression softened. “Oh. I’m sorry, Innie.”</p><p>Jisung knew that Jeongin and his best friend were in the same university. Jisung, once or twice, has told Jeongin that since he and Hyunjin were going to the same school now, it would be easier for Jeongin to finally, <em>finally</em> confess.</p><p>But, again, Jeongin did not want to.</p><p>“It’s fine.” Jeongin wanted to be surprised by how much he meant it, but he was starting to grow into the fact that it really was okay, because Hyunjin will be happy, and he’d be happy with Seungmin, who Jeongin was getting along with nicely. “They went to high school together, so they’re not <em>complete</em> strangers. And he’s actually really nice and fun to be with, so I can see why Hyunjin likes him.”</p><p>“When’s their date?” Jisung asked.</p><p>“Saturday.” he answered. “Why?”</p><p>Jisung grinned comfortingly. “Chan and I are hanging out with another friend this Saturday. <em>You</em> are coming with me. There will be snacks and movies and plenty of distractions for you.”</p><p>Jeongin chuckled as he resigned himself to the idea. “Well, I don’t exactly want to spend Saturday night by myself, so...”</p><p>Jisung chuckled and flicked his lamp off. “Good, because I wasn’t giving you a choice.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hyunjin, relax.” Jeongin chuckled into the phone. He was currently sprawled on his bed as he tried to abate his best friend’s restlessy growing first date jitters through a phone call. Jisung had an afternoon Saturday class so Jeongin had the room to himself for at least another half hour. “It’s what? Movie and a dinner? You’re going to be fine.”</p><p>One thing not a lot of people knew about Hyunjin was that he was almost always like this when it came to dates. People usually chalked him off as calm and collected, and perfectly aware that messing up on the first date was not the end of the world; but Jeongin knew that Hyunjin was a closeted perfectionist, and he was shy and flustered when he really liked the person he was with and when he was alone with them. Jeongin knew that Hyunjin was up in his room right now, tearing his and his roommate’s shared closet apart as he tried to piece together outfit after outfit in hopes of a miracle that he’d finally settle on one.</p><p>“Jeongin, what if I make a complete fool out of myself?” Hyunjin blustered before he scoffed. “Who am I kidding, of course I’m going to make a complete, utter fool of myself.”</p><p>Jeongin laughed. “I think Seungmin is getting used to you being a bumbling idiot, though.”</p><p>Who wouldn’t be smitten with Hyunjin when he was mumbling under his breath and laughing nervously and looking endearing?</p><p>“That doesn’t mean I want him to see me be a bumbling idiot!” the older groused. Jeongin hears shuffling on the other side of the phone, and deduced it to Hyunjin falling against his bed, which should be filled with piles of his clothes by now.</p><p>“Well, if he doesn’t accept you for the complete and utter fool that you are, then he’s not worth it.” Jeongin said with a nasally tone and a small laugh after.</p><p>Hyunjin sighed, and Jeongin immediately knew that he’s entered another lovesick daze. “He’s worth it, believe me.”</p><p>Jeongin hesistated before he snorted. “Whatever. And you’re going to be fine. Just wear a thick top and then a sweater or jacket, then you’re golden.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Seungmin seems like the type to get cold easily and I’ve never once seen him carry a jacket around.” Jeongin noted. “You’re going the the movies, you don’t want your date to freeze, do you?”</p><p>“What would I do without you?” Hyunjin said as he jumped to his feet in search for a sweater.</p><p>Jeongin chuckled again, pre-occupied with tracing the faint outlines on the room’s ceiling with his eyes. “Have an icicle for a date, maybe.”</p><p>Hyunjin laughed with him and sighed excitedly. “Well, I have to go meet Seungmin in a few and Changbin is eager to get me out of the room. I’ll talk to you later?”</p><p>Jeongin’s heart clenched at the hesitance of ending the call and sending Hyunjin off to his date, but he ignored the pinch and chuckled gently. “Alright. Have fun today, yeah? And believe me, Seungmin is into you as is, there’s no need to fret about that.”</p><p>“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Innie.”</p><p>“Bye-bye.” Jeongin said before ending the call and tossing his phone above his head with a sigh. From what else he knew about Hyunjin’s plans, they were meeting outside of the dorm buildings, which meant Hyunjin simply cannot wait to skip out of his room and make his way outside.</p><p>Jeongin’s room was located on the side where his window showed the dorm building across, unlike Hyunjin’s room which showed the campus’s outer walls outside of his window. He pondered on rolling off bed and making his way to the window to see Hyunjin make his way to Seungmin with that shy and endeared smile on his face as he complimented Seungmin on how he looked before proceeding to make a comment that would either fill the air between them with an awkward silence or nervous (but giddy) giggling.</p><p>Did Jeongin really want to hurt himself like that?</p><p>Sometimes, he did.</p><p>As a reminder that he was in love with Hyunjin and that his best friend was quickly falling for someone else that certainly was not him.</p><p>He sits up with a ruffle of his hair and walks to the space between his and Jisung’s bedside tables, where the window was located. He drew the cream-coloured curtains that the school provided for them to the side, and saw Hyunjin already outside, but Seungmin was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>Hyunjin was wearing a grey knitted long-sleeve under a white zippered hoodie that Jeongin personally liked to take from Hyunjin as well. He almost snorted, knowing that Hyunjin couldn’t wait to drape the hoodie over Seungmin’s shoulder already, but he had to wait for the right time to do so.</p><p>Seungmin finally exits his building, and even storeys high, Jeongin can see the way Seungmin’s reserved smile turned into a blinding grin when he saw Hyunjin waiting for him.</p><p>Jeongin closes the curtain and flops back to his bed.</p><p>Jeongin quickly wishes that they have a good time together, because as much as it hurts him to see his best friend off with someone else, he knows that he’d be in even more pain if Hyunjin starts sulking. Hyunjin deserved to be happy, and from the short time he’s known Seungmin, Jeongin believes that Seungmin deserves to be happy, too, so if they’re happy together, then Jeongin wishes that they have a great time.</p><p>When Jisung comes back from his class, he makes quick work of disposing his school bag and changing into more casual clothes before he and Jeongin are making their way to his friend’s room. As the elevator doors close, Jisung is talking about how Chan’s room was two floors above their’s and that this friend’s room was only one floor above, which meant that he was on the same floor as Hyunjin.</p><p>Jeongin listens to Jisung with an amused smile as he’s led down the hallway to the dorm room, but then is both confused and surprised when Jisung stops in front of a dorm room whose number Jeongin is fairly sure is familiar.</p><p>“Oh, Jisung, hey! Chan’s already inside. He brought pizza.” the boy said when he opened the door after Jisung knocked.</p><p>“Great, I’m hungry.” Jisung smiled at the mention of pizza, but went to introduce them first. “This is my roommate, by the way, his name is Jeongin.”</p><p>The boy smiled and offered his hand to Jeongin, who automatically took it in a handshake. “Hello, I’m Changbin.” he clicks his tongue like something is on the tip of it. “Your name sounds familiar.”</p><p>Jeongin chuckled. “I’ve heard your’s, too. Your roommate doesn’t happen to be Hwang Hyunjin, does it?”</p><p>Changbin lets go of Jeongin’s hand to snap his fingers together in realization. “<em>That’s </em>where I heard about you! Now, he really wasn’t kidding when he said you were adorable.”</p><p>Jeongin feels the apples of his cheeks turn pale pink at the comment.</p><p>“Hyunjin...” Jisung’s eyes are narrowed in thought, trying to put two and two together. Changbin ushers them inside and as the door closes, Jisung’s eyes widen in understanding.</p><p>“Oh! Hyunjin is... ohh...” Jisung files the name to memory, no longer needing to go by ‘the boy Jeongin likes’ or ‘Jeongin’s best friend’ whenever they boy came into conversation with his roommate.</p><p>Jeongin and Jisung share a look, the former silently asking his friend to put off questioning him at least until their back in the safety of their shared room but before Jeongin can verbally comment on it, a voice speaks.</p><p>“Took you two long enough.” Chan snorted from one of the beds, three boxes of pizza laid next to him.</p><p>Jeongin automatically knows that the bed Chan is on is Changbin’s, because the bed on the other side has a small plush fox seated on top of the pillows, something Hyunjin claimed resembled Jeongin, therefore he bought on the spot and kept on his bed since then; and Chan doesn’t seem like the type to invade other people’s space if he didn’t know them well enough, because when Jeongin first met Chan, the older went as far as to ask if it was okay for him to share Jeongin’s blanket when the younger was already offering half of it to him.</p><p>Jisung momentarily forgets about Hyunjin and jumps into the space next to the pizza boxes, ready to dig in as Changbin busied himself with setting up his laptop to start their first movie.</p><p>Jeongin lets himself inspect the room for any remnants of Hyunjin’s first date jitters, shaking his head when he sees the bedside table and finds Hyunjin’s make-up bag next to his nightlamp, and settles on the floor by where Chan was seated on the bed, accepting the slice of pizza that the older offered him.</p><p>“Alright, what should we watch first?” Changbin asked as he settled next to Jeongin on the floor.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Almost five hours later, with the sun already set and the moon high in the sky, Jeongin had somehow migrated to Hyunjin’s bed, hugging the fox plushie that was now between his folded legs and arms, as he laughed carelessy at the skit Jisung and Changbin found themselves to be role-playing for him and Chan, who was still on Changbin’s bed, empty pizza boxes by his feet.</p><p>They grew bored after two movies, and when Changbin asked Jisung to come with him to the convenience store, the latter decided to make a fuss about being too lazy to go, which resulted in the two of them in a playful round of bickering that had Jeongin and Chan clutching their stomaches from giggling too much.</p><p>The door opens, and Hyunjin comes in, bright smile on his face and his hoodie long gone. When he sees the guests inside his room, he takes a step back into the hallway, a shy smile on his face.</p><p>“Oh, sorry, didn’t know you still had people over.” he quickly apologized but Changbin was quicker to pull him back into the room and sit him on his bed; and dramatically, Hyunjin flops down on his bed, and gasps when he sees Jeongin seated on it. He sits up and looks at his best friend. “Why are you here?”</p><p>“Hanging out with this little guy.” Jeongin faked a coo as he gestured to the plush toy on his lap and pinched the fox’s stuffed cheek.</p><p>“Foxie is mine!” Hyunjin gasped again and made a move to take the toy from Jeongin, but the latter was quick to raise the toy above his head and out of Hyunjin’s reach.</p><p>“How was your date?” Jeongin asked with a subtle tug on his lips, barely a frown.</p><p>Hyunjin sighed dreamily, instantly dropping back onto his mattress and smiling at the ceiling. “It was amazing. He was amazing. Ugh, I’m in love.”</p><p>Jeongin snorted and poked the crown of Hyunjin’s head. “I can tell.”</p><p>Jisung tilts his head at the two from where he’s now seated next to Chan again. Hyunjin was the type of attractive that you couldn’t ignore, with hair falling in just the right place and eyes that made anyone who looked at them want to see how much they can glimmer. From the stories that Jeongin has told him, Hyunjin was a package of dramatic and sarcastic and sassy all wrapped neatly with thoughtfulness and sincerity and tied with a bow made of charm.</p><p>No wonder Jeongin was head over heels for him.</p><p>“Tell me all about your date later.” Changbin declared as he pulled Jisung up by the arm. “Jisung and I are going to run by the convenience store for dinner. Do you want anything?”</p><p>Hyunjin sat up again, this time to shoot Changbin a judging stare. “You kidnap my best friend and not feed him until right now? How dare you?”</p><p>Jeongin rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t want anything.” he prodded at Hyunjin’s arm to direct his best friend’s attention toward the other bed. “Meet Chan, he brought pizza, so no, I am not starving. Chan, this is Hyunjin, sometimes it’s best to ignore him.”</p><p>Hyunjin nodded curtly at Chan and shot him a thumbs up. “I approve of you.”</p><p>Changbin snorted at his roommate before he and Jisung exited the room. Jeongin hugged the plush fox to his chest again. “So, tell me about your date.”</p><p>“Well...” Hyunjin smiled once again, folding his legs under him and sitting with his back on the wall. “I learned that he does that thing where he doesn’t step on the lines on the floor when the floor is tiled, and when he accidentally does, he gets all pouty. He’s a bit violent, though,” Hyunjin chuckled and lifted a hand to rub his forehead with a small pout. “he flicked me on the forehead when I said a bad joke.”</p><p>“Serves you right.” Jeongin snorted. He left the plush on top of Hyunjin’s pillow before migrating back to Changbin’s bed, sitting next to Chan in hopes of finding a stray slice of pizza to munch on whilst they waited for Jisung and Changbin to come back.</p><p>Jeongin whispers a ‘yes!’ under his breath when he finds a last slice of pizza, and eagerly bites into it. Hyunjin and Chan laugh at him, but he’s too busy chewing the pepperoni pizza to pay them any mind.</p><p>“Anyways, what are you doing here? I didn’t know you were friends with Changbin.” Hyunjin asked with a playfully accusing tone.</p><p>Jeongin feels a pat on his head, and Chan answers for him. “Jisung invited him to hang out, or dragged him here.”</p><p>Jeongin wags his finger at the second option, which coaxes another laugh from the older next to him. When Jeongin is halfway through the pizza slice, he tosses it back inside the box for later, and turns back to Hyunjin. “So, next date, when?”</p><p>Hyunjin pursed his lips in an attempt of suppressing another excited grin. “Next week. He mentioned that he likes going ice-skating, so...”</p><p>“So you’re going to lose another sweater.” Jeongin laughed.</p><p>Hyunjin looked overwhelmingly happy and Jeongin was half-waiting for Hyunjin to start vibrating from how giddy he must be feeling. The sight of his best friend so happy dulled the pain in his heart at the fact that it wasn’t him that was making Hyunjin smile this way.</p><p>Hyunjin shrugged. “Small price to pay for one Kim Seungmin. But you’re right, though, he gets cold easy.”</p><p>Jeongin can almost imagine Hyunjin and Seungmin next to each other in the movie theatre and Hyunjin shrugging his zip-up hoodie off and draping it over Seungmin’s shoulders. Hyunjin would have probably blushed from embarrassment, and Seungmin would have smiled shyly as he sank into the warmth of the jacket.</p><p>At the mention of Seungmin’s name, Chan’s face flashes in recognition. “Kim Seungmin? I think I have a class with him.”</p><p>Jeongin quirked his brow at Chan. “Do you just know <em>every</em>one?”</p><p>Chan laughed with a coy shrug. Jeongin has met Chan twice so far, and the older boy was extremely friendly, to the point that Jeongin thought that something would be seriously wrong with him if he didn’t grow comfortable with Chan right off the bat.</p><p>Jisung and Changbin return soon after, both boys carrying a plastic bag each with a modest variety of the ready-made meals that the campus convenience store sold. Jeongin crawled back to Hyunjin’s bed, half-eaten pizza between his teeth, as Jisung and Changbin settled on the floor and set out the food. Chan finally left Changbin’s bed and sat with them on the floor, but Jeongin stayed on Hyunjin’s bed with his friend, knowing that he could abuse his best friend privileges and eat on his bed.</p><p>Jeongin doesn’t remember when he falls asleep, but he feels arms on the back of his knees and shoulders and he’s lifted from Hyunjin’s bed. He nuzzles into the neck of the person carrying him as he hears voices, three, then two, then the elevator, after someone saying “I’ll just take the stairs up, Jeongin might wake up if he’s out of bed too long.” and walking away.</p><p>He hears the elevator door opening, footsteps against the tiled floor of the hallway, and then footsteps on the carpeted floor of the dorm room. He’s tucked into bed and he curls in on himself under the blanket when he feels a chaste kiss on his temple and a mumble of good night before Hyunjin waves goodbye to Jisung and goes back to his room.</p><hr/><p>“Do you still do that?” Jeongin asked as an after-thought.</p><p>Seungmin hummed in question. “Do what?”</p><p>“Take Hyunjin’s hoodies because you keep forgetting to bring one when you go out.” Jeongin clarified, smiling lightly as he remembered the many times that Hyunjin had complained about his deteriorating collection of sweaters and jackets, before he proceeds to raid Seungmin’s closet in search for the missing articles of clothing, only to do it again in the next two months when all of his hoodies have once again been transferred to Seungmin.</p><p>Seungmin huffed defiantly and gently slams the pen against the table. “Hey, what’s his is mine!”</p><p>Jeongin scoffed. “But would it kill you to bring one yourself when you go out?”</p><p>“I <em>do</em>,” Seungmin argued half-heartedly. “once or twice, I don’t know.”</p><p>Seungmin starts scribbling words into their draft, and Jeongin watches him with a raised brow. “What are you writing?”</p><p>“A promise to try to remember to bring my own hoodies when we go out.” Seungmin mumbled under his breath. “Or at least return his stolen sweaters before his scent fades away.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How long have you and Hyunjin known each other?” Seungmin asked after he and Jeongin have fallen into a pre-occupied silence of trying to think up of what else to include in Seungmin’s vows. They’ve decided to filter through everything once they’ve written down all the things that come to mind, and hope for the best. “I don’t know, sometimes I feel like I know him best, and then I remember that you’re there, so I don’t know who really knows him best.”</p><p>There wasn’t any malice in Seungmin’s tone, and Jeongin didn’t bother to look for any trace of it. There was only genuine curiosity; the question never bothered him for an answer and never demanded much of his attention or pulled at his insecurities, it was simply a point of conversation to him now that he was alone with Jeongin after months of busy planning.</p><p>Jeongin felt the corners of his lips twitch at the words as a flood of memories come back to him. He hummed, the same words he said years ago once again dancing on the tip of his tongue. “I know him different from how everyone else does.” he chuckled before continuing. “Just like how you know him in a way no one else knows him. I guess that way, we both know him best.”</p><p>Jeongin thinks back to a late night back when he was in college and he can almost smell the alcohol in the air and feel the midnight air in his face as he looked at the papers and pen on the table in front of him under Seungmin’s apartment’s kitchen lights and thinks of how convenience store lights made paper and pen look a little differently, but maybe the years that have passed have also blurred his memories.</p><p>Seungmin started to spin his pen between his fingers with a small, amused smile. “That’s a good point. I never thought of it like that before.”</p><hr/><p>Ever since Jeongin and Hyunjin were kids, they spent their weekends together as much as possible, even more so when they ended up going to different high schools. They never feared losing touch, their houses were two streets away and they spend so much time with each other, they were virtually adopted into each other’s families before they were 10.</p><p>But that didn’t mean that spending the afternoon in the university’s courtyard meant anything less for them. They were laying next to each other on the grass, picking out the shapes of the clouds and hoping that they wouldn’t end up under the rain because they were too lazy to get up at the moment.</p><p>“How are you and Seungmin?” Jeongin asked when he remembered that Hyunjin and Seungmin went ice-skating yesterday.</p><p>Like what he did last week, Jeongin watched from his room window as a giddy Seungmin made his way to a giggling Hyunjin and saw how the latter took the former in his arms and hugged him so tight Jeongin felt his own heart clench.</p><p>After that, he spent the afternoon with Jisung, Changbin, and Chan in the restaurant Changbin suggested to Hyunjin before; the same one where Hyunjin first asked Seungmin out. If he was being honest, Jeongin was thankful for the distraction, because he didn’t think of Hyunjin out on a date with someone else nearly as much as he would have if he was left to wallow in his own misery under his covers.</p><p>But sulking over his unrequited love was reserved for yesterday; today, he was supposed to be the supportive best friend that couldn’t wait for Hyunjin to go steady with Seungmin.</p><p>Hyunjin sighed dazedly. “It was amazing, of course it was. Jeongin, I’m in love. Is it too early to say I’m in love? Because I’m in love with him.”</p><p>Jeongin hummed. “It’s never too early to be in love.”</p><p>He’d been in love for as long as he could remember.</p><p>“Has he told you that he likes you?” Jeongin asked next.</p><p>From the corner of his eye, Jeongin saw Hyunjin shake his head. “Not yet. But I don’t need him to tell me. I know he does. I think he’s a little shy with words, so he lets it out with his actions. Which is a little confusing sometimes, because that leaves me to understand everything he does and hope I don’t misread things, but I can manage.”</p><p>Hyunjin turned to his side to face Jeongin, folding his hands under his cheek to serve as a pillow. “I’m just used to being with you all the time, and you’re not like that. You tell me things.”</p><p>There are things Jeongin can never tell Hyunjin.</p><p>Jeongin rolled his eyes as he rolled over to his side to mimic Hyunjin’s position. “We’re not together <em>all</em> the time.”</p><p>Hyunjin raised a brow, and they stared at each other before bursting into a short fit of laughs.</p><p>“But,” Jeongin said. “I hope you’re not comparing me to Seungmin. I don’t think we have a lot in common, anyway.”</p><p>“I’m not.” Hyunjin replied. “But you have some things in common. Like how you both make me happy. I like spending time with you two. But I guess it’s different when it’s you or when it’s him.”</p><p>Jeongin smiled and granted himself a moment to wish that the way he and Seungmin made Hyunjin feel wasn’t so different; because maybe then he’d have a chance with Hyunjin.</p><p>They say that falling in love with your best friend is a beautiful thing; in some cases even the most natural and most obvious thing to happen. It's getting to know someone who you know like the back of your hand in another way completely.</p><p>It was smiles and giggles and being a little too close for comfort turning into cuddles and making out and not knowing where one ends and another begins. It was hour-long hugs and giggles between kisses and the dinners at the local diner and weekend sessions at the arcade that were childhood rituals meant a little more that they did before. From responding to teasing comments with middle fingers and flustered glares to exaggerated skinship to spite others and prove a point.</p><p>Falling in love with your best friend really was a beautiful thing, but not so much when your best friend doesn't love you back. Because then, it would be seeing your best friend laugh with love in their eyes and wishing it was you that they were looking at. It was seeing the way your best friend looked at someone else like the world and longing to be on the other end of those glances. It was painful, knowing you're in love with your best friend whilst they're falling head-over-heels for someone else.</p><p>“Are you alone?” Jeongin asked with a small smile. He went for a walk to the convenience store, hoping to buy something that would help him fall asleep when he sees Chan seated on one of the tables outside of the convenience store.</p><p>Chan looked up at him and smiled before motioning for the seat across him. “Yeah. You can sit if you want.”</p><p>“What are you doing here so late?” he asked the older. It was almost midnight, and whilst he was vaguely aware of Chan’s inconsistent sleep schedule, it was the first time he saw him out this late.</p><p>Chan shrugged before lifting the can of beer in his hand. “Sometimes it’s good to have a drink. Want to join me?”</p><p>Jeongin contemplated on the offer. He usually drank socially, mainly because he was impossibly lightweighted; but the welcoming smile Chan had on his face as well as Jeongin’s plethora of thoughts urged him to nod and let Chan stand from his seat to buy them both more beer.</p><p>“What’s on your mind?” Chan asked after Jeongin downed his second can of beer.</p><p>The younger boy chuckled, a small pout on his face as he propped it up against a crooken arm. “How can you tell?”</p><p>“I don’t know. I have a feeling.”</p><p>Jeongin huffed. “It’s petty.”</p><p>“So, tell me about Hyunjin?” Chan requested, voice cautious and tentative. He’s had no more than Jeongin’s had, but it was clear that he could handle his alcohol, and that he wouldn’t be touching any more beer given the state of his companion.</p><p>Jeongin narrowed his eyes at him, before sighing in defeat. “Am I that obvious?”</p><p>Chan chuckled. “A little bit. But I can see why you feel that way about him. He’s good-looking, and funny, and he just has that aura that makes it almost impossible for anyone to dislike him.”</p><p>Jeongin pouted again. He spoke with a quiet voice and Chan would have missed it if he was a little tipsier. “That’s not why I like him.”</p><p>“Why, then?” Chan asked.</p><p>“Because,” Jeongin started. “I know him in a way that nobody else does.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Chan asked next. Jeongin glanced at Chan to see that he was looking at him patiently, waiting for him to spill his heart out in hopes that it’ll calm his thoughts. It was enough for Jeongin to break, to let out things he hasn’t admitted to anyone before.</p><p>“I’m not going to say that I know the real him, because the real him <em>is</em> good-looking, and funny, and charming, and everything else that everyone sees in him. But I also know that he’s overdramatic, and that he sleeps with his socks on, and I know that he doesn’t like the pizza crusts.” Jeongin paused, before smiling softly. “I know what makes him sad, and I know how to cheer him up when he is. I love him because I know him in a way that he doesn’t let others know him. If I see him the way others do, it wouldn’t be this hard to get over him.”</p><p>It’s silent between them, with Jeongin looking Chan’s shoulder and Chan looking at Jeongin, waiting for the younger to tell him more if he had any more to say. It’s comfortable, Jeongin thinks, and he feels lighter, now that he’s admitted things that he never would have if he wasn’t drunk.</p><p>Jeongin looked back at Chan, wondering when he looked away, and chuckled. “Is it too cheesy?”</p><p>“I don’t think it is.” Chan answered immediately but sincerely. “But I think you haven’t told him a lot of things. Don’t you think he has a right to know?”</p><p>“I don’t want him to know.”</p><p>“And you have the right not to tell him.” Chan agreed as he rummaged through his bag. “But I also think that you have to give yourself the freedom to let your thoughts out. You’re my friend, Innie, and I don’t like seeing you hurt like this.”</p><p>Chan slid a pen and notebook to Jeongin. “Write him a letter. Tomorrow, when you’re sober, send it to him, tear it up, burn it, whatever you want to do with it. I just know that saying things you can never say sober is good stress relief.”</p><p>Jeongin chuckled at Chan as he took the pen into his hands.</p><p>“Thank you.” he said with another gentle laugh. “I know you didn’t expect your Sunday night to turn out like this.”</p><p>“It’s nothing I wouldn’t do for anyone else.” Chan only shrugged again and finished the contents of his can of beer.</p><p>Jeongin looked down at the opened notebook in front of him before pressing the tip of Chan’s pen onto the page. The strokes of his letters were messy, from his alcohol-induced mind or from the wight of his feelings, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was a mix of both.</p><p>But Chan was right, being drunk and speaking sober thoughts was refreshing, in a way, even after Chan dropped him off in his room and Jeongin sank into his bed, with folded piece of paper with Hyunjin’s name forgotten on his bedside table.</p><p>
  <em>Hey, do you want to know something?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I love you. You’re my best friend. Seeing you with Seungmin and seeing you happy with him makes me happy, too. That’s something I’ll never lie about.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But I love you. And not the type of way you love me. Because I love you in the type of way you love Seungmin. Do you love him yet? I think you do. Does it hurt? Like a bitch. But that’s okay, it’s my fault for falling in love with you and not wanting getting over you even after loving you for more than half our lives.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But I want to get over you now. Because you’re my best friend, and even after all these years of being in love with you, I know that the two of us are meant to stay as best friends. We’re soulmates, after all, but not like that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So yeah, I’ll be over you. I just know it.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello!!! thank you so so much for reading! *^^* please do leave comments if you have any or kudos if you're enjoying the story hihi *^^*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeongin now had his feet propped up on the dining table, something that Seungmin would have chastised him for if he wasn’t genuinely grateful that Jeongin was currently helping him cram his own wedding vows.</p><p>“How did you know that you were, you know, in love with him? Maybe we can put that in.” he suggested after remembering that Hyunjin found out that he was in love with Seungmin after their first date as official boyfriends. Hyunjin had barrelled into Jeongin’s room early the next morning, smiling from ear-to-ear and wax poetic about how he was undeniably in love with Kim Seungmin.</p><p>Seungmin laughed nervously whilst he flicked hair out of his eyes. “Ah, well, I kind of kissed Felix.”</p><p>There’s a crash next to Seungmin and Jeongin is on the floor, eye wide as he looked up at a confused Seungmin. Jeongin scrambled to sit up on the floor to place his arms on the chair’s seat and blustered. “You, what?! Why is this the first time I’m hearing this?”</p><p>“Felix was visiting me at that time and I was confused about whether or not I really did like Hyunjin, so I just went and kissed him, realized that no, that’s not it, and yeah, guess I’m in love with Hyunjin.” Seungmin explained half-heartedly as he played with his pen. “It wasn’t before we were <em>dating</em> dating, so don’t get any ideas about me kissing guys behind my boyfriend’s back. Besides, it was years ago.”</p><p>“You and Felix <em>kissed</em>?” Jeongin asked again.</p><p>It wasn’t a big deal to him, he just didn’t know why he was only finding out about this now. Jeongin loved gossip, especially when his friends are involved, so not knowing that Seungmin found out he was in love with Hyunjin after he kissed Felix was news to Jeongin.</p><p>Seungmin narrowed his eyes at Jeongin. “Oh, hush. Felix and I are best friends, I know for a fact that you and Hyunjin have kissed before.”</p><p>It was a good thing Jeongin was still on the floor because he would have fallen over for a second time if he had decided to sit back on his chair. The memory doesn’t leave a bitter taste in Jeongin’s mouth, but it wasn’t pleasant either. He almost shudders at the thought but he was too busy flushing in embarrassement to do so. That certainly was not one of his nor Hyunjin’s best moments.</p><p>Jeongin stills, then groans, head buried between his arms. “I still can’t believe he told you that.”</p><p>Seungmin shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. And besides, it might have been a problem in the future if he didn’t.”</p><p>“It was years ago, though.” Jeongin repeated Seungmin’s earlier words with a sulking undertone.</p><hr/><p>When Jeongin wakes up, it’s because there’s a head burrowing its way between his arms to snuggle up to him, and he doesn’t have to open his eyes to know that it’s Hyunjin’s arms snaking around his waist and pulling him closer.</p><p>Jeongin wanted to appreciate the cuddles but he couldn’t with the aftertaste of beer still on the back of his throat and the strong hands of sleep gripping at him to stay in its hold and he was more than happy to fall back into its clutches. He would have fallen back asleep if Hyunjin stayed still but the taller was intent on wiggling around to find a position he could settle on with Jeongin in his arms.</p><p>“Hyunjin, I swear to God, let me sleep.” he groaned as he buried his face in his friend’s chest and his heart skipped at the familiar scent of Hyunjin’s cologne. They’ve been using the same cologne ever since middle school, but no matter what, it always smelled better on Hyunjin for some reason.</p><p>“Jeongin, it’s almost noon, how much longer are you going to sleep?” Hyunjin mumbled but rubbed circles on Jeongin’s back to coax him back to sleep if the younger decided that he needed another hour to doze off.</p><p>“Another day.” Jeongin’s answer was muffled by Hyunjin’s shirt and the older chuckled at his friend. Drinking with Chan last night had been fun, and he was more than glad to get some baggage off his chest, but his promise to get over Hyunjin still proves to be difficult, especially when his best friend was currently clinging to him like a koala as he debated on whether or not to fake a hangover just to steal more hours of sleep.</p><p>Jeongin doesn’t get hangovers, Hyunjin would never believe that Jeongin has one.</p><p>“But I’m hungry now,” he whined. “let’s go get pizza for lunch, please?”</p><p>“Where’s your boyfriend?” Jeongin asked. They weren’t boyfriends yet and the barb was more effective on Seungmin but that didn’t stop Jeongin from using it on Hyunjis as well, though it didn’t elicit the same reaction of blushing cheeks and stammered responses that Seungmin provides him with.</p><p>Hyunjin sighed, and even in his sleepy state, Jeongin can hear the small frown on Hyunjin’s face. “He doesn’t eat fast food on the weekends, remember?”</p><p>One thing Hyunjin has learned about Seungmin is that he had a handful of quirks. Of course, Hyunjin had to keep up with these, mostly because he was still trying to muster up the courage to ask Seungmin to be his boyfriend, but even after Seungmin does agree to be his boyfriend— Hyunjin is hoping that he would— Hyunjin would still try to keep up with all of Seungmin’s habits and rituals.</p><p>Frankly, he liked how weird Seungmin can be sometimes. It worked well with Jeongin’s personality as well, and seeing them interact always made Hyunjin unbelievably happy.</p><p>Jeongin tried his best to kick his blankets and shake Hyunjin’s arms off of him. When he managed to sit up, he ruffled his already sleep-mussed hair and looked back at his best friend, sprawled comfortably on his bed. He sighed. “You’re buying me a milkyway.”</p><p>“Of course I am!” Hyunjin agreed immediately and Jeongin stood from his bed and made his way to his closet to pick out some clothes to change into. He was still too sleepy to shower.</p><p>“What’s this?” Hyunjin mumbled when he started to snoop around Jeongin’s space and found a piece of paper on Jeongin’s nightstand. He takes it in his hand and sees his name on it. “Can I read this? It has my name on it.”</p><p>Jeongin yawned as he searched for a shirt that he felt like wearing. Something threatened to click in Jeongin’s mind but the switch was jammed. “Must be your’s, then.”</p><p>Hyunjin laid down on Jeongin’s bed and unfolded the piece of paper, eyes scanning over the words written on it. The writting is messy but even still Hyunjin can recognise it as Jeongin’s. He must have been inebriated when he wrote this, Hyunjin deduced.</p><p>Jeongin takes out a shirt before he wonders what Hyunjin could possibly be talking about. Anything with Hyunjin’s name on it must be his own belongings so why would he ask for Jeongin’s permission before touching anything? If Hyunjin left anything in Jeongin’s room then he’d simply take it back without asking if he could look through it. Did Jeongin forget that he bought Hyunjin a gift and left it out in the open?</p><p>It’s quiet for a moment, before someone punches the switch in Jeongin’s mind and the click comes belatedly and harshly. Jeongin almost doubles over at the realization but he focuses more on ripping the piece of paper to shreds.</p><p>“No, no, Hyunjin!” Jeongin flops onto his bed, desperately reaching for the piece of paper in hopes that Hyunjin wouldn’t understand his drunk penmanship but he knows that Hyunjin could understand his penmanship even if he used his foot to write.</p><p>With him half on top of Hyunjin, Jeongin snatches the piece of paper and crumples it into a ball. He throws it to Jisung’s side of the room, chest heavy as a single high-pitched beat echoes in his ears.</p><p>Hyunjin is looking up at him, wide-eyed, and Jeongin doesn’t want to look away from the crumpled ball of paper on Jisung’s bed but Hyunjin finally speaks. “You’re going to get over me?”</p><p>Jeongin’s heart stops when he meets Hyunjin’s eyes.</p><p>“When...” it was clear that Hyunjin was struggling to find words. Jeongin pushed himself off the taller and sat next to him. Hyunjin pulled himself to a sit as well, brows still furrowed in confusion. “when were you under me?”</p><p>In any other occassion, Jeongin would be chortling at Hyunjin’s choice of words, but he couldn’t bring himself to smile when his feelings were now out in the open.</p><p>Jeongin wants to crawl inside a hole and never see the light of the world again. His throat feels dry and he fears that he’d end up choking on tears if he tried to speak, but Hyunjin is looking at him with a mix of expectation and confusion and shock and Jeongin can’t stare at him in alarm forever.</p><p>Jeongin groaned and rolled off to the foot of the bed. “Oh, God, you weren’t supposed to know.”</p><p>He went to Jisung’s bed and took the crumpled piece of paper in his hands, clenching his fist around it as he searched for something to burn it with. “Can we just— I don’t know, pretend this never happened or— fuck, where are the matches?”</p><p>“Jeongin, hey,” Hyunjin took Jeongin’s wrists and waited for them to look at each other before speaking again. “talk to me. What’s this about?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Jeongin answered. “This is about nothing.”</p><p>Hyunjin made Jeongin sit back on his bed, hands stills curls around Jeongin’s wrists. Jeongin had started shaking, Hyunjin can feel it from where he’s holding onto the younger, and he feels his heart break when Jeongin refuses to look at him. “No, Jeongin, you have to tell me.”</p><p>More than confusion, there was concern, and that made it harder for Jeongin to accept what was happening. Hyunjin knows; he knows that Jeongin is hopelessly in love with him and has been for longer than he had enough dignity to admit, yet here he was still, holding onto Jeongin in an attempt to comfort him instead of pushing him away.</p><p>Jeongin knew that Hyunjin would be like this, and the realization made something sting between his chest and throat.</p><p>Chan told him that Hyunjin had the right to know, but before that, Jeongin had the right to express his feelings in any way he saw fit. Right now was not a way he saw appropriate, nor will any other way that had Hyunjin physically involved.</p><p>“Hyunjin, it’s—“ Jeongin’s voice cracked. “it’s nothing, please. Can you just... leave me alone for a bit. If you really want pizza then there’s that Italian restaurant outside campus that isn’t fast food so Seungmin might like it there.” Jeongin’s voice cracked again when he said Seungmin’s name.</p><p>“Jeongin.”</p><p>“Hyunjin.” Jeongin intoned. “Jisung is going to be home in a while and I just.. really need to talk to him.”</p><p>There’s silence again, and Jeongin closes his eyes in hopes of seeing Hyunjin gone when he opens them again. The fingers around his wrists are warm against his skin, and he’d melt into the touch if not for the untimely revelation off his unrequited feelings. When Hyunjin lets go of his wrists, Jeongin drops the balled-up paper to his feet, and the door clicks shut.</p><p>Jeongin scrambles for his phone, praying Chan would answer the call before he couldn’t speak anymore because he’s choking on his tears.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeongin doesn't leave Chan's side for the rest of the day. He's only thankful that Chan's roommate was gone for the weekend and that allowed them the privacy of Chan's dorm room as Jeongin cried into Chan's shoulder and told him what happened. Their phones had somehow ended up under Chan's bed between Chan placing Jeongin on the bed and the two of them shuffling to wrap the blankets around their shoulders as one cried and the other comforted. It isn't until early evening that Jisung finds out what happens, when he realizes that Jeongin had been gone for too long and Changbin had mentioned that Hyunjin was out of reach as well. Chan had calmed Jisung down when he called, speaking in a hushed tone because Jeongin had fallen asleep on his chest and he feared waking the younger up. He'd told Jisung not to worry and that Jeongin can stay the night with him since he was concerned that Jeongin would start crying again if he woke up.</p><p>"H-He... Jesus, Chan, I can't face him anymore." Jeongin had cried into his chest. "He knows, fuck, what do I do?"</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Jeonginnie." Chan whispered whilst he rubbed circles on his back. He felt guilty for making Jeongin write a letter last night, if he had known that it would end with his friend crying his eyes out then he would have never suggested it in the first place. "I'm here, I'm here. Just let it out."</p><p>Chan doesn't know how long he'd whispered into Jeongin's ear before the latter fell asleep, but when he did, Chan tried his best to lay Jeongin down on his bed and tuck him in before finally reaching under his bed for their phones just in time to take Jisung's call.</p><p>And in true Bang Chan fashion, he had asked Jisung to check up on Hyunjin if he had the chance and the other was quick to send him a screenshot of his and Changbin's texts about how Hyunjin had been bundled up under his blanket since he got back a while ago, earlier than Changbin had expected him to be.</p><p>Hyunjin was confused, to say the least. When he woke up this morning, the last thing he expected was to find out that his best friend since diapers had been harbouring feelings for him all this time. How he'd not realized sooner was beyond himㅡ he and Jeongin were always touchy and affectionate with each other, since when had the lines blurred and Jeongin had started to act out of a different kind of love?</p><p>Hyunjin rolled over to the side, miscalculating the size of his bed and almost falling off the edge of the mattress. He met eyes with Changbin, who was doing some advanced reading on his bed, and he frowned. "Changbin, am I a shitty person?"</p><p>"No." Changbin answered without hesitation and closed his book to give Hyunjin his full attention. "Whoever told you that is wrong in the head."</p><p>"You're right," Hyunjin agreed with as much of a nod as he could manage when he's wrapped in his own blankets and his head pressed on his pillow. "I am a shit person."</p><p>Changbin paused during the half-second that it took for his brain to yell at him that he said the wrong thing before dead silence filled his ears again. "No, that's not what I meant."</p><p>Hyunjin should not have struggled as much as he did but he still made a show of squirming in place until he was in a sitting position. "No, I am. Why else would I blindly fall in love with someone else when my best friend has had feelings for me since forever?"</p><p>"Okay, two things." Changbin raised to fingers before folding one. "You're in love with Kim Seungmin?" when Hyunjin nodded, Changbin lowered his other finger. His tone was softer this time, like he was pained to say it. "Jeongin has feelings for you?"</p><p>Hyunjin nods again, just as pained as Changbin's tone was. He doesn't lift his head again because suddenly the creases of the blanket around him looked fascinating. "I just found out. I can't even imagine how he'd managed to keep it from me for so long, especially now when we see each other every day and here I am with someone else."</p><p>Hyunjin tried not to think of the other people he had spoken fondly of in Jeongin’s presence, tried not to think of how hurt Jeongin must be whenever he developed a new crush, tried not to think of how hurt Jeongin is right now, if he still had tears in his eyes or if he was still looking for matches to burn that letter he had written last night.</p><p>Maybe he should not have left even when Jeongin was pushing him away. This wasn’t something he was willing to let go, not when Jeongin had been keeping this from him for literal years. The last thing he wants to do is hurt his best friend yet all this time he’d been doing it without knowing.</p><p>“What are you going to do, then?” Changbin asked. “What about Seungmin?”</p><p>Hyunjin’s ears start ringing at the name. “Seungmin... what about him? I’m not going to choose between them, Changbin. I can’t.” Hyunjin’s voice cracks just a little at the thought of losing one of them. Jeongin had been with him his whole life whilst Seungmin was quickly becoming one of the best things that has ever happened to him. He can’t lose either of them.</p><p>“Are you going to tell Seungmin?”</p><p>“Do I have to?” Hyunjin was dejected. How Seungmin would react, he had no idea, but Hyunjin knows that Seungmin won’t be as accepting as Jeongin had been all these years.</p><p>Hyunjin thinks of all his fleeting crushes and feels like his world his spinning from how much his tears have built up behind his eyes. He never stopped to think of how his words and actions affected Jeongin— until today Hyunjin had never entertained the thought that it was possible for Jeongin to have those kinds of feelings for him.</p><p>“Well, you have to be honest with Seungmin, right?” Changbin said. “And with Jeongin, too, most importantly. What did he say when you found out?”</p><p>“He...” Hyunjin felt his heart drop. “he made me leave.”</p><p>“That’s understandable.” Changbin can see why Jeongin was acting like that. He couldn’t even imagine how Jeongin was feeling right now, with what must be his greatest secret now out in the open after years of safeguarding it.</p><p>“Talk to him tomorrow, got it?” Changbin said as he stood up and crossed he room to sit on Hyunjin’s bed and ruffle his hair. “There’s no point delaying it, it’ll only burden all of you.”</p><p>Hyunjin knows that Changbin is right, and hearing his own thoughts come from someone else’s mouth brought a sense of relief to wash over him. It doesn’t last for long, though, because then he starts to dread actually facing Jeongin again. Or Seungmin, for that matter.</p><p>He sighs and hikes his blankets up higher on his body. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”</p><p>“Do you think Jeongin was ready for you to know about his feelings?” Changbin asked. “If he was then you wouldn’t be here right now.”</p><p>Hyunjin nodded, silent.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Hyunjin wakes up, Changbin isn't in the room. Where he's gone, he doesn't know, but it gives Hyunjin a dozen silent seconds to recount the events of the past day and for the dread of today to creep up on him.</p><p>He realizes that he's never known confusion until now, when he feels like his most precious friendship is on the brink of being ruined and he has no idea what to do about it because Jeongin won't even look him in the eye after he read the letter. He doesn't know whether to run to Seungmin or Jeongin when both of them are a little more than an arm's length away and he can't bear to lose either of them.</p><p>Still confused, Hyunjin rummages for his phone to call the one person he wanted to see right now. He waits for him to pick up wanting nothing more than to hear Seungmin's voice as soon as he wakes in hopes that it would calm him even a little.</p><p>"Hey, honey." Seungmin's voice isn't thick with sleep, which means he's been awake for some time now, and Hyunjin can hear the smile in his voice even through the call. "Did you just wake up?"</p><p>Hyunjin feels calmer now that he's talking to Seungmin. "I miss you, darling."</p><p>Hyunjin can't wait for the day he'd call Seungmin his, but now he isn't so sure when that would be anymore. He doesn't know what to do with Jeongin, and with that, doesn't know what to do with Seungmin as well.</p><p>He's afraid of talking to Jeongin, afraid of what Jeongin will want to do with their friendship now that he knows about his feelings.</p><p>"I wish we can go out for lunch, but I can't right now. I have a friend over, so I'm spending the day with him. I'm sorry, honey." Seungmin apologized.</p><p>Hyunjin wonders if Jeongin also thought of his voice to be as thick and sweet as honey, or if it was only Seungmin who thought that.</p><p>He pouts. "It's alright. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I really miss you.”</p><p>He didn't see Seungmin at all yesterday. He was too busy wrapping himself under his blankets to even think of anyone else but Jeongin, but now the feeling of missing Seungmin had caught up to him in his sleep, and it's almost overwhelming how much he'd missed Seungmin already.</p><p>"I miss you, too." Seungmin answered with a small laugh. "I have to go, but text me, okay?"</p><p>"Okay." Hyunjin smiled. "Have fun with your friend today."</p><p>He hangs up after that and Hyunjin drops his phone to the side with a sigh.</p><p>He has to talk to Jeongin.Top of Form</p><p>He throws his blankets off of his body and rolls out of bed, putting on the first change of clothes he could grab before making his way out of his room and to the elevator. He doesn’t wait long because the elevator is one floor above him to either pick someone up or drop them off, and when the elevator reaches his floor and the doors open, he sees Jeongin inside.</p><p>Jeongin pauses when they see each other but Hyunjin moves quickly. He steps inside the elevator before Jeongin could close the doors, and he presses the emergency stop before Jeongin could even understand what was happening.</p><p>“We need to talk.” he tells the younger as the elevator shuts down with them inside. Jeongin’s heart drops to his stomache at the realization that he was now trapped inside the elevator with Hyunjin.</p><p>“I don’t want to.” Jeongin backs himself against the elevator wall, putting as much distance between him and Hyunjin. He had promised Chan that he’ll talk to Hyunjin soon, but he didn’t think that he’d have to face him as soon as he said goodbye to the older. He should have let Chan walk him to his room so that he would have someone to hide behind.</p><p>Hyunjin reaches for Jeongin but thinks better of it, lets his hand hover awkwardly between them instead. “Jeongin, please, we can’t avoid each other.”</p><p>“Hyunjin, I really can’t do this right now.” Jeongin shakes his head as he looked anywhere besides the taller. He didn’t want to see the look in Hyunjin’s eye now that he knows about his feelings for him.</p><p>“Jeongin, you’re my best friend.” Hyunjin says. “Do you think that’s going to change now that I know?”</p><p>Hyunjin is willing to stay inside the elevator all day if Jeongin will continue to be stubborn like this. He’s not going to let him walk away from him now that they have a chance to talk about what’s going on. He won’t let Jeongin avoid this conversation no matter what.</p><p>“I don’t know, Hyunjin.” Jeongin doesn’t want to know. “But I do know that what I feel for you is not what you feel for me, and that’s enough for me to not want this conversation to happen.”</p><p>Jeongin steps forward and makes a move to press the emergency stop button, but Hyunjin catches his wrist before he could touch the control panel and makes him face him. Jeongin still isn’t meeting his eye and that irritates Hyunjin to no end.</p><p>“We can’t avoid this forever.” his fingers are tight around Jeongin’s wrist and Jeongin wants nothing more than to saw his own hand off if it means delaying whatever this is. “Jeongin, you can’t keep running away from me. Talk to me.”</p><p>Hyunjin is feeling desperate now that the possibility of Jeongin never wanting to talk to him again is dawning on him. He’s never seen Jeongin this tired before, like he spent the whole night crying, and it’s obvious that he slept over at someone else’s room last night, and Hyunjin’s heart hurt because he knows that he’s the reason Jeongin looks like this.</p><p>“There’s nothing to talk about.” Jeongin tries to free himself from Hyunjin’s hold but he doesn’t have the energy to. He feels a thorn in his throat and tears build up between his eyes. “I’ve been in love with you for years but I don’t expect you to drop Seungmin for me.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me?” Hyunjin steps forward and Jeongin is trapped between him and the wall. His grip on Jeongin’s wrist tightens and Hyunjin is suddenly aware of how close they are.</p><p>“What difference would it have made?” Jeongin asks.</p><p>He presses Jeongin’s hand against the wall and Hyunjin dips forward and catches Jeongin in a deep kiss. Jeongin’s free hand finds itself in Hyunjin’s chest, gripping his shirt to pull him closer as he gets lost in the feeling of Hyunjin’s lips on his.</p><p>“Jeongin...” Hyunjin whispers against his lips when he stops for a breath. His head is spinning and there’s still the phantom feeling of Jeongin’s lips on his lingering between breaths.</p><p>Jeongin wants to push him away, but he only pulls Hyunjin closer for another kiss.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seungmin flicks Jeongin’s forehead. Hard.</p><p>“Ow!” Jeongin rubs the sore spot whilst he glares at Seungmin. “What was that for?”</p><p>“If you weren’t so stubborn then you and Hyunjin wouldn’t have kissed.” Seungmin scolded half-heartedly.</p><p>Was he mad that Hyunjin and Jeongin kissed? Not anymore, at least. Besides, he kissed Felix that same weekend, so he and Hyunjin are in a truce about that. Was Hyunjin out of line for kissing Jeongin in the elevator? Yes, and he had heaven and hell to pay for with that, courtesy of both Jeongin and Seungmin.</p><p>Jeongin’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, Mr. I-Kissed-Someone-Else-Because-I-Didn’t-Know-What-I-Felt.”</p><p><em>These two really are soulmates,</em> Jeongin reminds himself with a roll of his eyes.</p><p>Seungmin sticks his tongue out at Jeongin childishly. It had taken Jeongin and Hyunjin even more time after that before they could actually talk, because Jeongin had once again run away once he was back to his senses and had mustered enough strength to push Hyunjin away.</p><p>“He really is a prick sometimes, isn’t he?” Seungmin mooned lightly.</p><p>Jeongin hummed in response.</p><p>Hyunjin really had made it hard for himself, because soon after that he managed to mess things up with Seungmin as well, and the two people he didn’t want to lose ended up avoiding him for a while.</p><p>Seungmin chuckles at the memory, exasperated. His Hyunjin was a handful, but he wouldn’t trade him for the world.</p><p>Jeongin looked over what they have drafted so far, mentally pleased with himself for still being able to stomache this much affection dedicated to his idiot of a best friend.</p><p>Granted, Seungmin’s vows looked to the past of Hyunjin and Seungmin, whereas Hyunjin’s looked to the future, where accolade after accolade promised more love and companionship as if their six years of dating was not a solid enough testimony of that.</p><p>Jeongin mentally praised himself for helping out in both of their vows, knowing full well that he’d be as present in their future as he was in their past.</p><p>And Seungmin and Hyunjin, as much as it hurts Jeongin’s pride to admit— and even still, he’d never admit this out loud— are a perfect couple. They never fought, too, if those fake arguments weren’t to be counted. (Their fake arguments were for the sole reason of proving to their friends that they did, in fact, have their disputes, but no one ever fell for that)</p><p>Not once has Jeongin caught wind of an actual argument between Hyunjin and Seungmin that was not purely pouting and whining and for the intention of stealing hugs, kisses, or attention. And when Jeongin asked Hyunjin about this, when they were writing Hyunjin’s wedding vows, Hyunjin merely chuckled and rolled his eyes.</p><p>
  <em>“That’s because Seungmin is drop dead gorgeous when he’s mad. How can you possibly expect me to survive under that glare? I could never, no matter how hard I try.”</em>
</p><p>Jeongin would have interpreted it as Hyunjin simply fearing for his life if ever he and Seungmin were to get in an argument (Jeongin had seen Seungmin mad enough times over the years to know that he was not to be messed with when pissed. He’s only grateful that he mostly watched from the sidelines as Seungmin and Minho picked at each other) and not wanting to admit to it if not for the knowledge that Seungmin and Hyunjin looked at each other with hearts in their eyes, so it <em>must</em> be true.</p><p>Of course Hyunjin would find an angry Seungmin endearing, how could he not?</p><p>“Hey, Seungmin,” Jeongin asked. “have you and Hyunjin ever got into an argument? Like, a real fight?”</p><p>Seungmin stilled, lips knotted as he remembered and brows furrowed as he contemplated. His eyes narrowed a little as well, like he was glaring at the memories to continue to stay as far away from him as possible.</p><p>“Well...” he drawled. He glanced at Jeongin before looking away quickly, suddenly not wanting to meet Jeongin’s eyes. The tips of his ears turned pink and he chuckled nervously. He forgot that Jeongin didn’t know about it.</p><p>“Something about lists.” he answered vaguely.</p><hr/><p>Hyunjin continues to pace around the room like he’s been doing for almost half an hour now. Changbin watches him, seated on his own bed with his legs crossed under him, a notebook on his thigh but homework had completely slipped his mind the moment his roommate started talking.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait. Let me see if I understood.” Changbin said when he was sure that Hyunjin had told him everything he wanted to. He pointed at Hyunjin and that somehow convinced the taller to stop walking and stay still. “You kissed your best friend, the boy you grew up with and will very much likely be next-door neighbors in the cemetery with because of <em>course</em> you’ll be buried next to each other, who just so happens to have feelings for you— and he’s had for a while now— <em>but</em> then there’s your high school sweetheart, but not really, who I’m pretty sure you’re head-over-heels for because, honestly, you are. The problem now though is that you <em>kissed your best friend</em> because...?” Changbin scoffed. “Hell, even <em>you</em> don’t know why you kissed him.”</p><p>“I just...” Hyunjin groaned as he dropped to the side of his bed. “I’m confused. Before I knew about Jeongin, I was pretty sure that I like Seungmin, but then I <em>found out</em> about Jeongin and... it’s <em>Jeongin</em>; how do I even handle that?”</p><p>Hyunjin purses his lips and once again scolds himself for stepping over the line and kissing Jeongin. He didn’t know what he was thinking, if he was thinking at all. All he remembered was being too desperate to get Jeongin to talk to him, and then Jeongin was right there, so close to him— and then they were kissing.</p><p>Hyunjin groaned again and started to wrap himself in the sweater left on the foot of his bed, only to wince and throw the sweater to the floor pathetically. His insistence on lending others his clothes when they’re cold has now come to bite him in the ass; his sweater smelled of <em>both</em> Jeongin’s and Seungmin’s colognes.</p><p>“How about this?” Changbin suggested as he flipped to the back of his notebook. “Let’s make a chart or list or whatever of their flaws,” he said as he wrote both names on top of the page and drew a line down the center of the page vertically. “that way you can, uhh, size them up? Something like that?”</p><p>Was it the best solution? Not in the slightest; but Changbin is a creative arts students and is in no way, shape, or form equipped with the knowledge nor basic common sense on how to help his roommate sort out his feelings.</p><p>Hyunjin raises an eyebrow at his roommate. “You want me to talk shite about the two potential loves of my life?”</p><p>“Do you have a better idea?” Changbin wished he did but kept his expectations low. “And maybe after this you’d have narrowed your selection from ‘potential loves of your life’ to ‘your one and only’. Let’s start with Seungmin.”</p><p>Hyunjin gnaws on his lower lip, easily folding to Changbin’s idea because he couldn’t think of anything else to do and he hoped that this would somehow help him sort out his thoughts. He sighed and thought of Seungmin, wondered about the things about him that Hyunjin could maybe do without.</p><p>“His mood swings.” he frowned slightly. “One minute, he’s adorable and giggly and holding my hand and kissing my cheeks, then next thing I know, he’s scowling at me like I killed his fish or something.”</p><p>“Okay.” Changbin mumbled as he wrote down what Hyunjin said and waited for him to continue.</p><p>“He’s a <em>little</em> high maintenance.” he thinks back to their first date and the ones after that, to when he’d learn about Seungmin’s little habits. “He has <em>a lot</em> of quirks and jinxes and of course, I have to keep up with them.”</p><p>“He’s a busy bee.” he continued.</p><p>“A busy bee?” Changbin echoed in question.</p><p>Hyunjin nodded. “Yeah. You know, school work and stuff. It gets in the way of ‘us time’ sometimes.”</p><p>Hyunjin fell silent, picked at the sleeve of his sweater but still refusing to pick it up and risk catching another whiff of so many scents at once. He shrugged. “That’s all.”</p><p>“Don’t forget that he has chubby ankles.” Changbin intoned as he wrote.</p><p>Hyunjin looked up at him with an offended glare. “He does <em>not.</em>”</p><p>Changbin met his gaze with a blank expression.</p><p>Hyunjin rolled his eyes with a small pout, huffing. “Okay, he does. But I like his cute chubby ankles, thank you very much.”</p><p>“How about Jeongin?” Changbin dismissed.</p><p>Hyunjin frowned and looked at his fingers, felt at the fabric of his sweater and thought about what to write for Jeongin, who knew him and who he knew like the back of his hand and understood him better than anyone else and stayed by his side as they grew up.</p><p>“He’s...” he paused. “not Seungmin.”</p><p>Changbin is silent for a second before he shifts to press the tip of his pen on the white page of his notebook. “You mean he’s not a brat?”</p><p>“I never said Seungmin is a brat.”</p><p>“You talk like he is.”</p><p>Hyunjin grimaced. “<em>This</em> is why I didn’t want to talk about the potential loves of my life like this!”</p><p>“Well, at least now we know who you’re meant to be with!” Changbin grinned as he showed Hyunjin the page with the list of flaws, with Seungmin halfway filled and Jeongin’s with only one bullet under his name. He rips it off his notebook and hands it to Hyunjin for closer inspection.</p><p>Hyunjin could barely frown at the list before a knock sounds through their small room, and Hyunjin half crawls to open it after forcing the page under his sweater. He’s surprised to see Seungmin standing behind the door, smiling shyly but brightly at him.</p><p>“Hey,” he greeted Hyunjin as he wrapped his arms around Hyunjin’s waist. “why do you look so surprised?”</p><p>Hyunjin hugged him back, loved the warmth that Seungmin brought him. “I thought you had a friend over today.”</p><p>“Felix had to leave earlier than expected.” Seungmin explained whilst Hyunjin led him inside the room. He and Changbin waved at each other before he sat down on the foot of Hyunjin’s bed. “So I thought that maybe you’d like to have dinner tonight?”</p><p>Hyunjin sits next to Seungmin and nods. “I’d like that, actually.” he holds onto Seungmin’s hands and props them on his knees. “I really needed to see you right now.”</p><p>“You’re being weird, did something happen?” Seungmin asked and glanced at Changbin in case that would give him something to go off on, but the older only went back to his homework and ignored them.</p><p>Hyunjin kissed Seungmin’s knuckles before letting go and standing. “It’s nothing, darling. Let me just get a change of clothes and then let’s go, okay?”</p><p>Seungmin nodded. “Okay.”</p><p>Whilst Hyunjin was out to change his clothes, Seungmin noticed the sweater on the floor and made a move to pick it up and fold it neatly. Changbin noticed and made a dive for the floor, remembering that Hyunjin had hidden the page there.</p><p>He wasn’t fast enough, because Seungmin had seen the page, had seen his name written on top and now his interest was piqued. He doesn’t let Changbin near him and keeps him away with a glare, sharp enough for Changbin to gulp and wish he had better common sense and had not suggested making a list at all.</p><p>Seungmin’s eyes rake over the page and he and Changbin sit in a suffocating silence until Hyunjin comes back two minutes later. Seungmin meets his gaze and lifts the page, sharp eyes but blank expression.</p><p>“What’s this about?” Seungmin asked.</p><p>“Seungmin, it’s nothing.” Hyunjin insisted as Seungmin stood from his bed and made his way out of the room. Hyunjin followed after him after seeing Changbin’s apologetic wince. “Seungmin, listen to me, please.”</p><p>“I don’t know what this is about, Hyunjin,” Seungmin said as they followed each other down the stairs. He’d be damned if he had to wait for the elevator. “but whatever it is, I’m glad I finally know what you think of me. High-maintenance and moody.”</p><p>“Listen to me, darling.”</p><p>“Don’t call me that.” Seungmin intoned as he crumpled the piece of paper in irritation. “From what you think of me, I’m far from a darling.”</p><p>“Seungmin, that’s not true at all.” Hyunjin’s head is spinning again. They’ve reached the lobby now and Hyunjin grabs Seungmin’s forearm to stop him from leaving the building. “Please, let me explain.”</p><p>“I don’t know why you and Changbin were comparing me and Jeongin but I don’t think I can face you right now knowing that you think of me like that.” Seungmin intoned.</p><p>“No, hey, darling,” Hyunjin whispered as he cupped Seungmin’s cheeks. “didn’t you see what was written for Jeongin? That he’s not you.”</p><p>“So I’m a brat?” Seungmin scoffed and pulled Hyunjin’s hands away from him.</p><p>Of course, that’s what Changbin wrote. Of course.</p><p>“And for the record, I do <em>not</em> have chubby ankles.” Seungmin huffed before turning around and leaving.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you so much for reading!!! i love reading all your comments so please please do tell me what you think hhhhh ((please go easy on hyunjin ㅠㅠ))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeongin looked out of the window and saw Seungmin exit their building and cross the distance to his. He didn’t know if it was just his own conflicting feelings making an assumption, but Seungmin looked heartbroken and angry. Jeongin wondered if he and Hyunjin fought or if he was simply overthinking things.</p><p>“Are you going to avoid him forever?” Jisung asked from his place on his bed. He looked at Jeongin with a tinge of concern. He doesn’t know exactly how much Hyunjin and Jeongin meant to each other but he knows enough to know that it was a lot.</p><p>Jeongin is his friend, too, and seeing him like this is heart-rending. Jisung decides that if Jeongin wants to be stubborn and avoid Hyunjin like the plague, then he’s going to have to find a way to convince Jeongin that that isn’t the wisest thing he can do.</p><p>Jeongin shook his head. “I can’t do that.” he sighed and stepped away from the window to flop onto Jisung’s bed next to him. Jisung quickly scoots over until his back is pressed against the wall to give Jeongin more space. “Hyunjin’s my best friend, I can’t shut him out forever.”</p><p>There’s a small smile on Jeongin’s face and Jisung recognizes it as the one Jeongin often wore when they were in still in high school, when Jisung would poke Jeongin’s sides and ask him to tell him more about the boy he likes because Jisung found it amusing to see Jeongin with love in his smile. Jisung realizes that this smile has been reserves for Hyunjin all this while, and soon it would be reserved for someone else, and Jisung hopes that whoever it is will be able to smile the same way when they think of his friend.</p><p>“What are you planning to do, then?” Jisung asked.</p><p>Jeongin thought of Seungmin, how even from afar his figure looked distressed and Jeongin knew that the only reason Seungmin would be in their building would be for Hyunjin, so something must have happened between them. Jeongin hurt at the thought that maybe he had something to do with it.</p><p>He didn’t want to get in the way of Seungmin and Hyunjin’s blossoming relationship. All he wants for Hyunjin is to be happy, and Jeongin can see that Seungmin makes him unbelievably happy. The last thing he wants is to ruin that before it even started.</p><p>Jeongin hummed. “Well, I think I should talk to Seungmin as well. It might not be his business but I don’t want problems between him and Hyunjin. They make each other happy and I’m the last person that wants to get in the way of that.”</p><p>Jisung looks at Jeongin, prays that the next person he falls in love with is as selfless and giving and loving as he is, because Jisung won’t know how to live with himself if he sees Jeongin like this again over someone else. Jeongin is like his little brother now, and he wants to protect his family as much as he can.</p><p>“Tomorrow?” Jisung asked.</p><p>Jeongin nodded. “Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After their shared class, Seungmin tugs on Jeongin’s sleeve, smiling softly at him. “Jeongin, can we talk?”</p><p>Jeongin blinked at Seungmin. The older had been uncharacteristically silent for most of the class, almost to the point of ignoring Jeongin sitting next to him, and Jeongin wondered if Hyunjin told Seungmin about what happened the other day, and that was why Seungmin wasn’t giving him the time of day.</p><p>Jeongin knows that he’d be pretty mad if his almost-boyfriend kissed someone else— his best friend, no less— and said best friend happened to have feelings for him, too.</p><p>“I, uhh, actually wanted to talk to you, too.” Jeongin admitted with a small nod.</p><p>Seungmin doesn’t know if his anger was supposed to be directed at Jeongin as well, but he can see that the younger had no idea about the list or the events from yesterday, and as much as Seungmin didn’t want to be reminded of the mean things that Hyunjin and Changbin had written about him, most of his anger had already gone and maybe talking to Jeongin would give him a sense of clarity and a reason to talk to Hyunjin again.</p><p>“Is the quad okay for you, or...?”</p><p>Jeongin chuckled. “Why does it sounds like you’re convinced I’d hurt you if we’re not in public?”</p><p>Seungmin loosened up some at the comment, and smiled. “No, it’s just... I don’t know.”</p><p>Jeongin hummed in acknowledgement. He doesn’t know as well. He’s sure that Seungmin feels it, too, the way that the air around them is different from how it was a few days ago. There’s everything and nothing at once and they’re both wondering if it’s appropraite to be doing this without Hyunjin in the middle.</p><p>The two of them were friends, but the things happening all lead to Hyunjin in the heart of it, and nothing will change if they avoid Hyunjin forever.</p><p>"You said you wanted to talk to me, too?" Seungmin started once they were seated under a tree in the middle of the campus quad. Seungmin was playing with his fingers, a nervous tic he thought he'd gotten rid of already.</p><p>Jeongin pursed his lips and nodded. "There's something I need to tell you, I guess? I don't know if you need to know this but it also seems wrong not to tell you at all. I mean, I didn't think I'd ever have to tell you this, but Hyunjin recently found out about it and I don't know if he told you already, and I thought maybe it'll be unfair to you if you don't know, considering that you and Hyunjin are, you know..."</p><p>Nervous tics were everywhere, Seungmin realized as he placed a hand on top of Jeongin's knee to stop the boy from rambling. He mustered up the most comforting smile he could. "Jeongin, relax. You don't have to be so nervous, it's just me."</p><p>Jeongin deflated at the words. He dreaded the moment Seungmin's smile would turn into a frown once he finds out about his feelings for Hyunjin. He didn't know how to assure Seungmin that he wouldn't dare try anything, not only because Seungmin is there but because he knows that Hyunjin won't ever reciprocate his feelings. "I... Hyunjin found out that I like him. We haven't talked properly since then. I've been avoiding him."</p><p>Practically ambushing him and locking themselves inside an elevator was not talking properly. Kissing was <em>not</em> talking properly, no matter how many butterflies roam around his insides at the memory of it. The butterflies don't last long, though, because vultures are incredibly fast to claw their wings off, leaving Jeongin's insides twisting and turning at the recollection of him and Hyunjin kissing, especially now that he is looking Seungmin in the eyes.</p><p>Seungmin's hand removes itself from Jeongin's knee, and the corners of Seungmin's lips set themselves in a straight line. "Oh." he blinks. "How did he react?"</p><p>"I don't know." Jeongin shrugged and looked away from Seungmin, head lowered and looking at his fingers that were pulling grass out of the dirt— when did he start doing that? "Like I said, we haven't really talked since that day."</p><p>The list from yesterday worms its way to Seungmin's mind and his frown deepens. At least now he knows why Hyunjin and Changbin were drawing up his and Jeongin's undesirable qualities.</p><p>Seungmin could almost scoff at the childishness. Suddenly Felix’s weird shenanigans from his visit sound like genius ideas.</p><p>Jeongin takes note of Seungmin's silence and starts rambling again. "If you think that I'm going to try anything with Hyunjin, don't. He's my best friend and I know that's all we'll ever be and believe it or not, I'm completely fine with it. For as much as it's worth, I really like you for him and I like that we get along and I hope that my having feelings for my best friend won't get in the way of our friendship."Top of FormBottom of Form</p><p>Hyunjin makes his way to their line of sight, with Changbin and another boy that Jeongin recognizes as Lee Minho, the boy Jisung had his eye on and had been gushing to him about since Changbin introduced them to each other. Hyunjin locks eyes with both of them and he doesn’t hesitate to wave goodbye to his two companions before making his way to them.</p><p>“Jeongin, I have to go.” Seungmin intoned as he stood. He glances at Jeongin with a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you for telling me.”</p><p>He walks away before Hyunjin could reach them, and Hyunjin’s eyes flash between Jeongin and Seungmin in an internal dilemma on which of them to talk to first. Jeongin decides for him, takes another fistful of grass and tilts his head towards Seungmin’s direction, telling Hyunjin to, “Go after him. We can talk later.”</p><p>Hyunjin nods and goes after Seungmin.</p><p>“Chan and Jisung are in your room.” Changbin says before Jeongin could take out another blade of grass. He smiles timidly at Jeongin. “You should hang out with them, too.”</p><p>Jeongin nodded, stood, and smiled at the two older boys. “I’ll see you two around.”</p><p>Hyunjin manages to hold on to Seungmin’s arm and stop him from walking away. His throat feels like there’s cotton lodged inside of it but he forces himself to speak. “Seungmin, darling, please...”</p><p>“Jeongin has feelings for you?” Seungmin intoned as he turned to face Hyunjin.</p><p>Hyunjin’s hold on Seungmin loosens. He nods. “He... he’s had them for a while now apparently.”</p><p>“Is that why...” Seungmin in mentally thankful that they’ve managed to end up in a part of the quad far enough for other people to hear them. “you and Changbin were making a list? Did you really think you’d figure it out after listing out all the things you didn’t like about us?”</p><p>“Thank you, by the way, for not liking how Jeongin isn’t a brat.” Seungmin was almost seething. He feels like an object Hyunjin wasn’t sure if he wanted. He feels insulted. He feels hurt, because someone he cares about talked behind his back about things he didn’t like about him.</p><p>“I wasn’t thinking. What can I do to make you forgive me, darling?” Hyunjin asked. His eyes were shaking and his fingers curl around Seungmin’s forearm subtly. The name still does things to his heart and Seungmin can’t focus on the honey eyes Hyunjin is looking at him with, asking him for forgiveness.</p><p>“Seungmin, make a list, tell me the awful things about me that you don’t like, I don’t care if you come up with a hundred.” Hyunjin said, desperation leaking from his words. Jeongin avoiding him is bad enough, but Seungmin looking him with anger and hurt is just as bad.</p><p>“That’s where we’re different, Hyunjin.” Seungmin took Hyunjin’s hand off him and gave him a final glare. “I won’t make a list.”</p><p>Seungmin walks away again and Hyunjin doesn’t follow him this time.</p><hr/><p>“Lists?” Jeongin raised a questioning brow at the vague answer. He had not heard of something like that from Hyunjin before.</p><p>Seungmin shrugged, and with a flick of his wrist, dismissed the subject. “It was a long time ago, no need to get hung up on it. It didn’t last long, too, you of all people should know how dangerous Hyunjin’s baby doll eyes are.”</p><p>If someone told Seungmin that it took close to nothing for him to forgive Hyunjin for that, then Seungmin won’t listen to those comments. He thinks that a few days avoiding Hyunjin was adequate enough time for both of them, and Hyunjin had long-since proven to Seungmin that he loves every part of him, even the ones he could do without.</p><p>Jeongin feigned an offended gasp. “I’ll have you know that it’s been years since I graduated from the School of Being Dumb for Hwang Hyunjin.”</p><p>Seungmin simply raised a brow at Jeongin, daring him to try and pry about the lists. If he, Hyunjin, and Changbin have managed to last six years without mentioning it to others and to each other at all, then Seungmin is pretty damn determined to keep it that way.</p><p>Jeongin shrugged in compliance, and Seungmin smiled to himself, suddenly proud of the friendship he and his fiance’s best friend have built with each other.</p><p>As he watches Jeongin mindlessly doodle on a piece of paper, Seungmin thinks back to his insecurities from years ago and how they only showed up when Jeongin was involved. For good reason, too, if his past self thought so, since Jeongin and Hyunjin were glued to each other’s sides and basically revolved around each other from childhood.</p><p>Of course, that wasn’t the case anymore. Their world has expanded to fit Seungmin in, and Chan, and Jisung, Changbin, Felix, Minho. None of them were kids anymore, and even Seungmin had to grow up from his pointless insecurities.</p><p>He’d admit that there was a time where he couldn’t bring himself to look at Jeongin without either wanting to cry his heart out or yell his lungs out, but now, he can look at him and see the younger brother he never had. His friendship with Jeongin is close to his heart, and Seungmin will always be grateful that he didn’t ruin it all those years ago.</p><p>And if Seungmin was feeling a little mischievous, then maybe he might go back on his word and convert his vows into a list instead of paragraphs, simply to spite his husband to-be.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jeongin realizes that it’s another one of those nights where he wants to take a walk hours after Chan left and Jisung is snoring on his bed. He doesn’t text Hyunjin to come with him for obvious reasons and he doesn’t text Seungmin because he doesn’t think he can handle being alone with Seungmin two separate times within twenty-four hours; so he goes by himself.</p><p>He didn’t do much after Hyunjin ran after Seungmin. He sat in bed and doodled whilst Jisung and Chan wrote songs on the floor. Jisung playing the guitar was somehow therapeutic, especially when he and Chan giggled between their self-made lyrics. He commented when he could, mostly to tease the older boys about their work but he managed to get in a handful of small praises as well. It made him feel better when he didn’t even realize that he was feeling awful (if he suppressed a smile whenever Chan or Jisung would glance at him to either smile or make a face at him then only he knew about it).</p><p>Hyunjin is mostly pushed to the deepest corner of Jeongin’s mind now, only to make his presence known every other hour, mostly accompanied with thoughts of whether or not he and Seungmin have made up. He hopes that Seungmin won’t harbour any negative feelings toward him because Jeongin wouldn’t want to live in a world where he and Hyunjin’s boyfriend don’t get along.</p><p>When Jeongin reaches the convenience store and sees someone seated on the table outside, he almost thinks that it’s Chan and it’s another night where the older can’t sleep, but he soon realizes that he knows the back of this person’s head more than he knows his own; and with a deep breath, he sidles the table to stand in front of Hyunjin, not surprised that he’s already downed two bottles of soda and on his third.</p><p>“Hey.” he whispers against the silence of the late night.</p><p>Hyunjin looks up from the table. He’d been staring at his phone in hopes that the next time it’ll light up would be because he received a text from Seungmin. It’s a small hope, he’s aware, because Hyunjin knows that Seungmin needs his space and Hyunjin thinks that Seungmin isn’t one to solve things unless it’s face-to-face.</p><p>He sees Jeongin in front of him, wearing a jacket that isn’t either of theirs’s and his hands in his pockets. Hyunjin doesn’t trouble with himself with wondering who Jeongin borrowed the jacket from and whether or not the jacket’s owner is aware that it’s with him. He does note that Jeongin looks comfy in the jacket as he wraps himself in it in that way Hyunjin knows he won’t return it unless he’s presented with something else to take.</p><p>Jeongin chuckles awkwardly at Hyunjin’s lack of a response. “Can I sit here?”</p><p>“You’re not going to buy something inside?” he asks. Jeongin can see the worry etched into Hyunjin’s features, can feel the weight on the corners of his lips that make it hard for him to smile, can see the thoughts circling in his mind in several varieties of doubt and concern.</p><p>Jeongin shrugs and sits down. “You probably have another half dozen sodas with you.”</p><p>Hyunjin doesn’t drink alone so he opts for soda when he doesn’t want company. It’s unhealthy, they’re both aware, especially since the sugar rush and caffeine high eliminates all possibility of Hyunjin managing to sleep for the next dozen hours but it’s better than Hyunjin drinking alcohol in his weight.</p><p>“I have four left, actually.” Hyunjin chuckles and nods as he takes out a bottle of soda from the plastic bag on the seat next to him and hands it to Jeongin. He waits for Jeongin to open it and take a sip before he speaks. “It’s pretty late, why are you still up?”</p><p>“I could ask you the same thing.” Jeongin muttered as he thoughtlessly tilted the open bottle in different directions and watched the soda move. He still can’t look at Hyunjin properly.</p><p>There’s a silence between them, one that hasn’t showed up in all the years that they’ve known each other. It’s easy not to like the silence; it feels wrong, it feels unnecessary, because Hyunjin and Jeongin are best friends and they’re not supposed to have this animosity between them.</p><p>They're not fighting, because there's nothing to argue about, but Hyunjin wishes that he and Jeongin can simply yell at each other until their throats are sore so that they can laugh their own childish threats and insults away and forget about the issue like how they do all of their fights.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Hyunjin sighs and looks at Jeongin and waits for him to meet his eye but the younger still keeps them on his soda. “for that day in the elevator. And for not knowing about your feelings.”</p><p>“You didn’t know because I didn’t tell you.” there’s a dull tap of the table when Jeongin sets the soda bottle down unintentionally and rather strongly. He ignores the drops of soda on the table and instead meets Hyunjin’s gaze at last. “That’s something I should be apologizing for.” Jeongin kisses his teeth. “But as long as you agree that you were out of line for kissing me then I guess it’s all good.”</p><p>“I wasn’t thinking.” Hyunjin admitted with a shake of his head. “You were avoiding me and my thoughts were a mess.”</p><p>There are a handful of things that Hyunjin will admit that he should not have done. Of course, the two most recent ones are kissing Jeongin and writing a list to compare Jeongin and Seungmin in vain hopes of sorting out his conflicting feelings. He faults himself and his own dramatics for stirring up unnecessary trouble and calling forth conflicting emotions that they can all do without.</p><p>“I was avoiding you because I know what you’re going to say.” Jeongin sighed. “You don’t have to tell me that you love Seungmin for me to know that, and I don’t have to tell you that I don’t expect you to return my feelings for you to know that.” Jeongin’s lips quirked upwards. “We’re best friends, we just know stuff without telling each other.”</p><p>Jeongin is halfway puzzled on why this doesn’t hurt as much as he thought he would. He imagined at least one of them in tears, not downing soda outside of the campus convenience store at a time too late to be awake on a school night. He didn’t know it would be this easy to tell Hyunjin about his feelings but he’s grateful that he didn’t see this coming.</p><p>“I’d be lying if I said I never thought about it.” Hyunjin takes a deep breath and calms himself. He doesn’t want to act without thought again. He feels himself smile, small and fond, and the incomplete thoughts he’s had over the years come rushing back to him in small increments. “The two of us. I can’t say the thought never crossed my mind before.”</p><p>“But that’s all it was, right?” Jeongin asked. “Just a thought.”</p><p>There was always something wrong with those thoughts. He wouldn’t know who to run to if he and Jeongin ever get into a fight because Jeongin always knows what to do. He wouldn’t know who to talk to if his heart is too full of love for his boyfriend because Jeongin is the only one that would willingly listen to him talk for hours. He wouldn’t know who he’d rope into the silly surprises he thinks of to make his significant other smile because for Hyunjin, Jeongin will always be his one call away.</p><p>He wouldn’t know who his best friend would be if Jeongin becomes more than that.</p><p>Hyunjin nodded. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Did you really not know?” he asked. Jeongin didn't go around with his feelings on display but he also knows that he isn't the most subtle person in the world.</p><p>Hyunjin shrugged and took a sip of his drink. “I really didn’t. It’s not like I <em>looked</em> for signs, Jeongin.” he deadpanned and Jeongin laughs. He takes it as a good sign. “You could have just told me, you know.”</p><p>Jeongin mused. “Easier said than done.”</p><p>Maybe he <em>would</em> be over Hyunjin by now if he confessed the years ago, because now that Hyunjin knows, Jeongin thinks that it’s suddenly easier to move on from his unrequited love.</p><p>There’s silence for several moments and Jeongin takes the time to look at Hyunjin. It’s obvious that his best friend has a lot on his plate right now and he feels a tad guilty that he’s one of them.</p><p>He’ll get over Hyunjin soon, Jeongin can feel it in the back of his mind that he will. He’s been in love with him for years but that doesn’t mean he’ll stay in love with him forever. Hyunjin isn’t the one for him and he accepts that because Hyunjin is his best friend and there’s no one else he’d ever want to be that for him.</p><p><em>He deserves it, though</em>, Jeongin thinks as he raises his bottle and tips it towards Hyunjin. “We’re good, right?”</p><p>“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”</p><p>Jeongin shakes the bottle and raises a brow wordlessly. Hyunjin chuckles and raises his bottle as well to tap it against Jeongin’s. “We’re good.”</p><p>They tip their heads back to take a gulp of their sodas, and the air around them is back to normal now, like there wasn’t any tension to begin with. It’s always easy when it comes to them and that’s something they like about how they are. Fights don’t last long and romantic feelings don’t put a strain in their friendship because at the end of the day, having each other is the most important to them.</p><p>Jeongin takes a deep breath as he tugs on the sleeves of Chan’s jacket. The scent of the older boy is close to gone now, but still Jeongin can feel Chan’s embrace as he wears it. He praises the small voice at the back of his mind that told him to wear it tonight in case he might need a confidence boost, because he doesn’t think talking to Hyunjin would have gone as smoothly if Jeongin didn’t have the extra support, no matter how intangible it is.</p><p>“What are you going to do about Seungmin?” Jeongin asked once he and Hyunjin have downed half the contents of their drinks. He laughs when Hyunjin sinks into his chair with a guilt-ridden but dramatic groan.</p><p>“You can work things out,” Jeongin said sagely. “you and Seungmin are good together. Whatever it is that you two are fighting about, you’ll make up.”</p><p>Jeongin remembers the expression on Seungmin’s face in the quad earlier today when they saw Hyunjin. He thinks that Seungmin just wants Hyunjin to reach out to him a little before folding and making up with him and he’s confident that if Hyunjin pesters him for a couple more days then everything will be fine between them again.</p><p>He’ll make Hyunjin wait a couple more days before pushing him to talk to Seungmin. Maybe they both need their space, and if Seungmin is avoiding Hyunjin, then Hyunjin might need some time to think to himself before asking for forgiveness, whatever it is that he’s done.</p><p>Hyunjin feels his bottom lip jut out at the thought of Seungmin. “I fucked up a bit, though.”</p><p>Hyunjin debates against telling Jeongin about the list. There are a number of things he could do to get Jeongin pissed at him— kissing him is pretty high on that list (wow, <em>another</em> list)— and he isn’t too keen on checking if he and Seungmin shared the same mindset on his shortcut to organizing his thoughts.</p><p>It doesn’t help that Changbin feels really bad about it himself. It <em>was</em> his idea and Hyunjin wasn’t obliged to go with it, the problem is that Hyunjin did play along with Changbin’s idea, so there’s no one to blame but himself. If he was being honest, though, he thinks that maybe Seungmin is overreacting, but Hyunjin still doesn’t know enough about Seungmin to know how deep his insecurities are.</p><p>Hyunjin feels bad that he poked at Seungmin’s insecurities. Seungmin doesn’t deserve it and Hyunjin wants nothing more than to smother Seungmin in apologies and promises that there’s nothing to feel bad about because Hyunjin thinks that he’s as close to perfection as a person could get.</p><p>“What did you do?” Jeongin asked.</p><p>Hyunjin shrugs. “I guess I forgot that some people are sensitive.”</p><p>Jeongin snickers. “Not everyone is open to your constructive criticism like I am, you know.”</p><p>“I guess.” Hyunjin exhales a weak laugh. “I can’t believe I fucked things up before I even got to ask him to be my boyfriend.”</p><p>“You fuck up quite a bit, you know.” Jeongin teased with a roll of his eyes. “But I think he’s just being extra petty because you still haven’t made it official. You’ll get past it, trust me.”</p><p>Jeongin doesn’t ask what Hyunjin did in the first place. He’s confident that no matter what it is, it can’t be <em>that</em> bad.</p><p>Hyunjin smiles and nods. “Okay.” he trusts Jeongin.</p><p>Jeongin ponders about when Hyunjin’s eyes started to look a little less bright, and when his smile started to be a little less blinding, and he wonders if it’s because he’s troubled with Seungmin, or maybe it’s because the pedestal Jeongin has put Hyunjin in started to lower itself a little now.</p><p>“Hey,” Jeongin says after another silence. Hyunjin looks at him in wait. Jeongin snickers. “when I finally get over you, you have to throw me a huge-ass party, you got it?”</p><p>“Just tell me when.” Hyunjin winks playfully. He can’t wait for the day Jeongin will find someone else to love; because as much as Jeongin is a big part of his life, he knows that there are parts of it that they won’t fit into. Jeongin deserves to love someone that isn’t him and when that day comes, Hyunjin is going to welcome that person with open arms and a big smile.</p><p>Jeongin laughs. His head is tilted up and he’s momentarily blinded by the lights of the convenience store they’re seated outside of. He blinks against the glare and lets his heart settle at the fact that he and Hyunjin are going to be okay.</p><p>Yeah, he’ll get over Hyunjin soon.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seungmin looks at Jeongin with narrowed eyes, amusement curling his lips into a smirk. “I remember that party. One of our weirdest nights out ever if I do say so myself.”</p><p>Celebrating the fact that his two-month boyfriend’s best friend was finally over said boyfriend sounded off to the ears but Seungmin can remember how much fun they had then, drinking the night away and eating half their weight in junk food, locked away in a hotel room too small for eight college boys but it was near campus and last-minute so they had to make do and the lack of space wasn’t a problem when they were having too much fun to pay it any mind.</p><p>There are memories of Hyunjin tackling Jeongin into a headlock and ruffling his hair as he congratulated Jeongin on moving on until Chan pries him away and tucks him to his side. There are memories of Jisung playing his guitar as they pretended that the stash of chips in the middle of the room was a bonfire and Seungmin faintly remembers Changbin and Minho almost breaking the bathroom door. He remembers Felix complaining about not knowing anyone there but clicking with Chan and Jisung almost instantly.</p><p>He’d teased Jeongin a lot that night, too, since it only took Jeongin a little less than three months ever since Hyunjin finding out about his feelings for him to move on. He’d playfully questioned whether or not Jeongin really had feelings for Hyunjin in the first place but it was all in good fun and nothing another bag of chips couldn’t distract them from.</p><p>Jeongin laughed. “That makes two of us.”</p><p>There’s a faint blush on the tips of Jeongin’s ears but Seungmin doesn’t comment on it. It warms his heart to see Jeongin like this, especially when Jeongin isn’t verbally overt with the object of his affections.</p><p>With his fingers playing with the magnetic charm of his bracelet, Jeongin clears his throat and kicks one of the balled up papers on the floor. “So, uhm... your vows?”</p><hr/><p>It’s another two days of Seungmin avoiding him like the plague before Hyunjin turns up outside of Seungmin’s room with a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and a box of chocolates on another. He knows Seungmin’s schedule by heart by now and he doesn’t have his first class for another two hours; in the process he also learned the gist of Seungmin’s roommate’s schedule so he knows that Seungmin should be alone in his room right now.</p><p>Seungmin’s face falls blank once he opens the door to a fidgeting Hyunjin. “It’s 8 in the morning, what are you doing here?”</p><p>Seungmin had spent the better part of last night with his earphones plugged inside his ears and Felix’s seemingly endless discussion on how Seungmin should man up and forgive Hyunjin. Initially, Felix was enraged by the list, but after finding out about what was written under Jeongin’s column, Felix had called Seungmin stupid for being insecure when Hyunjin is clearly in love with him and the faults he sees in him.</p><p>Seungmin worried his roommate could hear Felix talking despite the earphones, but his roommates steady breathing from across the room proved that he was fast asleep, so Seungmin could do nothing more than to listen to Felix tell him that there will always be things they won’t like about each other and that’s for them to decide if it’s worth throwing everything away for.</p><p>Hyunjin extends the gifts to Seungmin, who only stares at the flowers and chocolates with furrowed brows. Hyunjin takes a deep breath. “Please let me talk to you, Seungmin.”</p><p>Seungmin doesn’t like what Hyunjin’s honey eyes do to him. “Inside.”</p><p>He takes the flowers and chocolates from Hyunjin and sets them on his bedside table. He sits across Hyunjin after so that they’re facing each other on his bed, both of them sitting with their legs crossed under themselves. He lets Hyunjin take his hands and rub his thumbs against his skin softly.</p><p>“I know that the list was stupid.” Hyunjin exhales. “It wasn’t a smart thing to do, but believe me when I say that all those things on the list? Even if you think that those are horrible things about you, I want you to know that I love those things about you.” he raises Seungmin’s hands and kisses the backs of them. “I’m sorry if it made you feel bad, darling.”</p><p>“And yes, Jeongin likes me.” Hyunjin mentally thanks Jeongin for the idea of flowers and chocolates, and then snickers at Jeongin’s passing reminder that the elevator was not an ideal place to talk. “But I like <em>you</em>, Seungmin, and he knows that— <em>you</em> know that— and Jeongin and I are best friends, nothing is going to change that.”</p><p>Seungmin knows he can’t compete with all the time Hyunjin and Joengin have spent together. He can’t compete with their bond and their trust, which grew overtime since they were children and is practically unbreakable by now, and nothing is going to change that.</p><p>“What if I tell you that I’m uncomfortable with you two being friends because of his feelings for you?” Seungmin asks.</p><p>Hyunjin stills at the question and Seungmin knows he’s at a loss for words because he stopped rubbing his thumbs over the backs of his hands. Seungmin chuckles after a moment of nervous silence and squeezes Hyunjin’s hands. “I’m not going to make you cut him out of your life, don’t worry.”</p><p>Hyunjin relaxes at the sight of Seungmin’s smile. “Good, because I don’t think I can lose either of you.”</p><p>Seungmin lets that sink in. He knows it will take a bit of time before he could feel completely comfortable with the fact that Hyunjin and Jeongin are close friends. He doesn’t own Hyunjin and his small insecurities remind him that Jeongin has been more present in Hyunjin’s life than he has and when it comes down to it, he’d lose to Jeongin if Hyunjin ever had to choose.</p><p>But hearing the sincerity dripping in Hyunjin’s voice as he says that Seungmin is someone he doesn’t want to lose is comforting. It gives him hope that someday he can measure up to Jeongin’s presence in Hyunjin’s life with his own and that one day he’d be able to look back at his insecurities and wonder why he had them in the first place.</p><p>Right now, though, there’s the nagging voice in his head telling him that Jeongin has feelings for Hyunjin and it’s not the most impossible thing in the world for Hyunjin to wake up one day and realize that he returns them.</p><p>“I still don’t have chubby ankles.” Seungmin clicked his tongue childishly in defeat.</p><p>Hyunjin chuckled. “I love your chubby ankles.”</p><p>“I do <em>not</em>!”</p><p>Hyunjin kissed Seungmin’s hands again. “Do you forgive me now?”</p><p>“I’ve forgiven you days ago.” he admits with a small smile. Then, he rolls his eyes. “I was just being stubborn. And a little petty.”</p><p>Hyunjin chuckles and scoots closer to Seungmin to wrap him in an embrace. Seungmin lets him and wraps his own arms around Hyunjin’s torso. “I’m sorry for being stupid.”</p><p>“Is there anything else you haven’t told me?” Seungmin asked. “Because now that we’re being honest, I have something to tell you.”</p><p>Seungmin had almost forgotten about it but now that he and Hyunjin have talked and set other things aside, Seungmin knows that he might as well tell Hyunjin about what happened with Felix. He doesn’t want it to come up in the future and fuel another argument.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Seungmin paused and wiggled out of Hyunjin’s embrace. He winced under Hyunjin’s expectant eyes. “Well, Felix and I kissed. A few days ago.” he winces again. “Please don’t be mad?”</p><p>He offers half a moment to remember Felix rolling his eyes at Seungmin’s hour-long rambling of how he’s unsure of whether or not he really liked Hyunjin before taking Seungmin’s face in his hands and kissing him. The moment Seungmin pushed him away, Felix laughed and proclaimed that ‘congratulations, you like him.’ with a wink to match. He’d never understand his best friend’s logic but Seungmin admits that his methods are almost never fruitful.</p><p>Hyunjin knots his lips and takes his hands again. He thinks he understands Seungmin’s intentions as to why he told him this, so he chuckles nervously. “As long as you’re not mad that I kissed Jeongin, too?”</p><p>That’s fair. “Deal, but only if I get a kiss, too.”</p><p>And there it is; the nagging voice in his head telling him that Jeongin has feelings for Hyunjin and it’s not the most impossible thing in the world for Hyunjin to wake up one day and realize that he returns them.</p><p>He pushes it away because right now Hyunjin is in front of him and right now he’s the one that Hyunjin would like to give his heart to.</p><p>He closes his eyes when Hyunjin kisses him and he doesn’t stop the small giggle blossoming in his heart from coming out of his mouth between the kiss. If there’s one thing that Seungmin misses during the days he’d been petty and avoided Hyunjin, it’s his kisses.</p><p>“One more thing.” Hyunjin says after leaving a small peck on Seungmin’s nose and sitting back straight.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Hyunjin smiles at Seungmin, thankful that he could finally ask Seungmin the question he’d been dying to ask for weeks now. “Will you be my boyfriend?”</p><p>Seungmin laughs. “I’d like that.”</p><hr/><p>“I guess that’s all of it.” Jeongin declared after Seungmin wrote the last sentence down. He raised his arms above his head to stretch and Seungmin re-read the final draft of his vows.</p><p>Okay, maybe Hyunjin’s overdramaticness has rubbed off on him; five weeks is plenty of time to write his vows. Seungmin blames it on his impatience for the days to fly by quicker so that he and Hyunjin can finally say their ‘I do’s.</p><p>The click of the door sounds through the apartment and Hyunjin enters with a paper bag of take-out food in one arm and his work bag hanging off the other. He smiles at his best friend and fiancé but frowns when Jeongin and Seungmin rush to hide the notebook in the kitchen drawer and throw out the mess of scattered paper balls on their feet, too preoccupied with hiding the evidence of their afternoon to pay him any attention.</p><p>“Okay,” Hyunjin drawled with a raised brow as Jeongin dumped the last of the paper balls into the trash and Seungmin finally made his way the door to greet him. “I see you’ve been productive today.”</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Seungmin asked before kissing Hyunjin hello and leading him to sit on the chair Jeongin had occupied for more than five hours. “You didn’t tell me you were coming over.”</p><p>They never told each other when they’re coming over, but Hyunjin glosses over that fact when Seungmin kisses the top of his head.</p><p>“Well, I missed you.” Hyunjin smiled and from behind him Jeongin checked the knife drawer where Seungmin locked the notebook away. “And I wanted to see if the first of my boxes arrived already, they were picked up this morning.”</p><p>“Those were mostly your books so I stashed them in my room to save space out here.” Seungmin explained as he and Jeongin sat on either side of Hyunjin. They decided to move into Seungmin’s apartment after their wedding since most of Hyunjin’s things were already there and nearer to both of their workplaces.</p><p>“Oh, and what are you doing here?” Hyunjin asked as he turned to Jeongin, who was already munching on a handful of fries.</p><p>Jeongin shrugged. “I was telling Seungmin that it’s not too late to not marry you.”</p><p>Hyunjin narrows his eyes at Jeongin but before he could comment on the barb, the door opens again and Chan walks in, smiling at the trio on the dining table and immediately making his way to sit next to Jeongin.</p><p>“Channie.” Jeongin smiles at the sight of the older man and lets himself be embraced in a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>“Hey, love.” Chan whispered before letting go of Jeongin and letting his husband take another handful of fries with his free hand.</p><p>“Chan texted me that you were with Seungmin so he was going to pick the rings up with me.” Hyunjin said after Chan laced his fingers with Jeongin’s. There’s a click of their bracelets’ magnets and Hyunjin chuckles at the sight of his best friend admiring their matching bracelets (a gift from Chan on their second wedding anniversary and Hyunjin swears he’s never seen Jeongin so happy to see jewelry).</p><p>“And I figured you’d still be here and waiting a couple of hours before I could see you again isn’t exactly on my schedule.” Chan shrugged coyly.</p><p>Seungmin chuckled. “Well, we’re done for the day, so if you want to whisk him away, by all means.”</p><p>Chan and Jeongin started dating a couple of months after Seungmin and Hyunjin became boyfriends. They officially announced being together during Jeongin’s ‘congratulations on moving on from Hyunjin’ party and Hyunjin has never seen Jeongin look at someone else with stars in his eyes but something about Chan and his dimpled smile makes Jeongin’s eyes look like a meteor shower is inside his irises.</p><p>They got married right after college, which shocked Hyunjin the most, since when they first started dating, Jeongin had explicitely told Hyunjin, on multiple occassions, that even though he and Chan were dating they were still going to take things slow since they both felt like they had all the time in the world anyway, so a marriage proposal during their graduation dinner was not high on their list of expectations (he’s a little salty that his best friend got married years before him but that’s only him being a child.)</p><p>“So, we’re good?” Hyunjin asked. “Everything checked off?”</p><p>Jeongin nodded.</p><p>“Everything is done, then.” Seungmin clapped his hands together with a grin. “All we have to do is wait five more weeks, and then that’s that.”</p><p>Hyunjin kisses Seungmin’s forehead. “I can’t wait.”</p><p>“You could have been married now if you didn’t take six years to propose.” Jeongin intoned. He’ll miss teasing Hyunjin with that but he guesses that it’s a small price to pay for Hyunjin and Seungmin finallly getting married.</p><p>Hyunjin narrows his eyes at his best friend. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”</p><p>Jeongin almost chokes on his fries. “Shite, you’re right.” he stands and tugs his husband to his feet as well, bolting to the door. “We’ll see you both soon!”</p><p>“Say ‘hi’ to the kids for us!” Seungmin says just before the door closes behind Chan and Jeongin.</p><p>“Minho and Jisung wouldn’t mind that we’re a little late, right?” Jeongin asks as they wait for the elevator. Minho and Jisung live near the pre-school that both their kids go to and since Minho only works in the morning on most days, he spends the afternoon with the two kids until Chan or Jeongin picks their daughter up to go home (they stay for dinner a couple of times a week since Jisung can very much so hang onto their legs until they give in).</p><p>Chan laughs. “Their little angel loves playing with ours. I think we’re good.”</p><p>Chan stifles a laugh at the thought of Minho and Jisung in their apartment, watching over not one, but two three year-old children. The kids are well-behaved for the most part, but they <em>are</em> still children.</p><p>Jeongin nods with a smile of his own. He steals a quick kiss from his husband. “I love you.”</p><p>“I love you, too.” Chan says as the elevator opens. “And I miss our princess, so let’s pick her up quick before she forgets that her parents aren’t Minho and Jisung.”</p><p>Jeongin laughs and steps inside the elevator. “Jisung doesn’t think they’re ready to adopt again so soon, I think we’re good.”</p><p>“Do you think we are?” Chan asks. He and Jeongin have been talking about it recently, seeing as how their daughter is old enough to go to school now and they both agree that they want their kids close in age if ever they’d end up with more than one.</p><p>Jeongin snickers. “How about we talk about that after Hyunjin and Seungmin get married, hmm?”</p><p>Their daughter <em>has</em> been bugging them about wanting a younger sister.</p><p>Chan hums. “I’ll hold you to that. Anyway, how are Seungmin’s wedding vows?”</p><p>“It was quite a trip down memory lane.” Jeongin mused as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out, their bracelet charms still locked between their laced fingers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>and we're finally done!! Thank you so so so much for reading, I had loads of fun writing this so I hope you enjoyed reading it!! i've got a lot more buried in my WIPs so be sure to check every once in a while if I've finally managed to unearth one of them hhhh *^^*</p><p>I'll definitely miss writing this but I;m so happy we finally got to the end ahihi tell me your thoughts on the story down in the comments or on my <a href="https://curiouscat.qa/water_lili_es">curious cat</a> or visit my <a href="https://twitter.com/markeu_tuan93">twitter</a> for more stories!! *^^* please all stay safe, happy, and healthy!! thank you again!</p>
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